Word: ecuador
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...Ecuador, which happens to be the world's largest exporter of bananas, has often been regarded as the quintessential banana republic. Though the country has been stable for the past 3½ years, some sophisticated Ecuadorians still evaluate coups the way other people rate horses or vintage wines. Last weekend's abortive attempt to oust President Guillermo Rodriguez Lara, which left in its wake 17 people dead and 80 wounded, ranked very low on the scale. "I've never seen a coup so stupidly organized," sniffed one Quito connoisseur...
...must have been brewed before cocktails and executed after," as one foreign diplomat put it−was to surround the national palace in Quito and force the resignation of roly-poly President Rodriguez (known informally to his countrymen as el Bombita, or the little balloon), who has been Ecuador's benign, reformist dictator since leading a successful military coup in 1972. Setting up headquarters in a funeral parlor, the two rebel generals marshaled their forces, which consisted of 150 soldiers and six ancient U.S. Army tanks. The tanks are so old that one Ecuadorian general, upon returning from...
...attempted coup, a motley mob of Quito citizens ransacked the palace, carrying off rugs, lamps and other portable goodies. Otherwise, there was little popular support for the coup even though Rodriguez's regime has lately been in considerable economic trouble. In the first half of 1974, Ecuador exported $444 million worth of goods, primarily oil from its jungle wells, coffee and bananas. But then hypernationalistic government ministers raised the price of oil 54&#cent; per bbl. above OPEC's price. In protest, the oil companies severely limited production. Although revenues plummeted, Ecuador's nouveau riche refused...
...Minister and dropped the price of oil 43? per bbl., whereupon the companies began pumping again. Recently the President announced the imposition of a stiff 60% tax on imported luxuries. That drew howls of complaints from shopkeepers in Quito and their customers, but it may be enough to get Ecuador back in the black...
Under the curious cover name of Jeremy S. Hodapp, Agee was assigned to the U.S. embassy in Quito, Ecuador, and then in Montevideo, Uruguay. Hodapp's good works later made him aide to the U.S. ambassador in Mexico. As described by Agee, the CIA's penetration of these South American nations was so thorough that it became a silent partner in the governments. Mexican authorities cooperated with the CIA to such an extent that the Company could tap 40 key telephone lines...