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I found this great article and have
asked the author Alejandro Onofre if I could share it with my readers. Below is the article in Alejandro’s own
words. I hope you enjoy it.
Alejandro Guevara Onofre: Is a freelance
writer. Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He studied
political science and journalism. He has published more than seventy-five
research papers in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the
world issues, Olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called
"The Dictator and Alicia Alonso”. He is an expert on foreign affairs. Furthermore,
Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in
Latina America.
He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican
painter), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former
President of the USA). His favorite film is "Gorillas in the Mist”. Some
of his favorite books are “The Return of Eva Peron and the Killings in
Trinidad” (by V.S.Naipaul), "Las Mujeres de los Dictadores" (by Juan
Gasparini) and “Murder of a Gentle Land” (by John Barron and Anthony Paul).His
personal motto is "The future is for those people who believe in the
beauty of their dreams" by Eleanor Roosevelt.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Christina María Aguilera, who is a famous American
singer, has Ecuadorian origin? Her father was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Only
26 years, she has already made a place for herself in the world of American
music. Over the last eight years, Christina Aguilera has produced six albums,
including "Christina Aguilera" (1999), "Mi Reflejo" (2000),
"My Kind of Christmas" (2000), "Just Be Free" (2001), and
"Back to Basics" (2006).
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Ecuador has many famous people: Oswaldo Guayasamín
(painter), Jorge Icaza Coronel (writer), Jefferson Leonardo Perez Quesada (Olympic
sportsperson), Betty Pino (journalist), José Ayala Lasso (ambassador), Diego
Cordovez (ambassador), and Galo Plaza Lasso (former secretary of the
Organization of American States (O.A.S.)?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Surprisingly, the small country of Ecuador has produced
two of the best tennis players in the past century? Pancho Segura was one of
the best tennis player in the 1940s and 1950s.Francisco Olegario Segura, best
known as "Pancho Sgura", was born on June 20, 1921, in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Like Guillermo Vilas or José Luis Clerc (Argentina), Raúl Ramírez (Mexico) and
Alejandro Olmedo (Peru), Andrés Gómez was also one of the best tennis players
in Latin America. Losing only set in four rounds of play, Andrés Gómez eased
into the 1990 French Open final against Andre Agassi (United States).He was one
of the Third World´s most famous athletes in the 1980s and early 1990s.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Different from Cuba (communist dictatorship) and
Venezuela (military dictatorship), Ecuador is a democratic state based on a
representative government and the three branches of national power?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...In 1972, Jorge Delgado Panchana, who was born in Guayaquil
(Ecuador), became the first Ecuadorian to classify in the finals at the Olympic
Games, where he ended fourth in the world in the 200-meter butterfly style
competition in Munich, West Germany (currently Germany). Jorge Delgado was one
of the best athletes of Latin America in the 20th century. At the 1975 Pan
American Games in Mexico City, Mexico, he won the gold medal in the 200-meter
freestyle swimming competition. In the 1970s, Jorge Delgado Panchana was
coached by Jack Nelson, who was born in the United States.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...The South American country is a popular travel destination?
It possesses an exceptionally rich and diverse plant life...Ecuador lends
itself to mysticism.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Ecuador has had many famous sportsmen and women in the
20th century: Andres Gómez (tennis), Francisco Segura (tennis), Rolando Vera
(track and field), Jorge Delgado Panchana (swimming), José Cedeño (taekwondo),
Duvan Langa (taekwondo), Jacinta Sandinford (track and field),Nancy Vallecilla
(track and field), Nicolas Lapentti Gómez(tennis), Boris Burov
(weightlifting),Galo Legarda (billiards), Mariuxi Febres (swimming) and Alberto
Spencer Herrera (soccer).
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Like Volcans National Park (Rwanda), Tropical Rainforest
Heritage of Sumatra (Indonesia), Ha Long Bay (Vietnam) and Iguazu Waterfalls
(Argentina and Brazil), Galapagos National Park is one of the nature wonders of
the world? It is the most important natural monument of Ecuador.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Ecuador is famous in Latin America as the birthplace of
Oswaldo Guayasamín, one of the best painters in the 20th century?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...The biodiversity of Ecuador is one of its greatest riches?
Bird life is prolific... Ecuador ranks fifth in the world for the number of
species it hosts. In Ecuador we can find more than 1.445 species of birds
(compared to only 600 in the United States).
DID YOU KNOW THAT...The 5th Taekwondo World Championship was held in
Guayaquil, Ecuador in February 1982.National teams from 36 countries came to
Guayaquil for the competition?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Ecuador was a founding member of the United Nations in
1945...?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Ecuador is rich in resources such as shrimps, bananas, flowers,
coffee and petroleum?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Rosalía Arteaga Serrano de Fernández de Cordova was
elected president of Ecuador for 3 days (February 9,1997-February 11, 1997).She
was Ecuador´s first female president.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Without a doubt, the most famous sportsperson in
Ecuadorian history is Jefferson Leonardo Pérez Quesada. Surprisingly, he won
the gold medal in 20-kilometer walk at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...With a total area of nearly 109,500 sq.km, Ecuador is
bigger than the United Kingdom, Israel, Luxembourg, Singapore, Bahrain and Hong
Kong combined? More than 13 million people live there.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...American first lady Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter visited
Ecuador in 1978?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Jorge Icaza (1906-1978) is Ecuador´s most famous
contemporary writer? He wrote the widely acclaimed "Huasipungo"
(1934).
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Ecuador is one of the oldest republics in the Third World?
Ecuador became independent country in 1822,
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Betty Pino, a distinguished journalist, was born in Ecuador?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Ecuadorian culture reflects an admixture of Spanish,
African and native Indian influences, similar in many respects to the
traditions of Peru and Colombia.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...At least thirty percent of the country´s natural land
resources were dedicated to conservation with laws prohibiting hunting,
exploitation and trapping in park areas?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...María Soledad Diab Aguilar is one of the most beautiful
Ecuadorian woman of all time? She was named Miss Ecuador-Universe in 1992. Miss
Ecuador won Miss Photogenic during the Miss Universe 1992 Beauty Pageant held
in Bangkok, Thailand.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Between July 13 and July 29,2007,Ecuadorian delegation
participated in the Pan American Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, winning
5 gold, 4 silver, and 10 bronze medals. Overall the Ecuadorian team ranked
eleventh...
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Frederick Ashton, a world-famous dancer and
choreographer, was born on September 17, 1904, in Guayaquil, Ecuador?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Galapagos tortoise is a national symbol of Ecuador?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...2004 was the second time the Miss Universe pageant was
held in South America? The site was mystical Quito, the capital city of
Ecuador. For the second time, Australia (Jennifer Hawkins) won the universal
crown. There were a number of big favorites among Ecuadorian journalists,
including Miss Ukraine (Aleksandra Nikolayenko), Miss USA (Sandi Ren Finnessey)
and Miss Venezuela (Ana Karina Añez Delgado)....Maria Susana Rivadeniera
Simball became the second Ecuadorian woman to reach the semi-finals in Miss
Universe. Miss Ecuador 2004 impressed judges with her personality, beauty and
intelligence. One of the judges was Jefferson Pérez (gold Olympic medalist).
DID YOU KNOW THAT...In 1996 Quito, the capital of Ecuador, had a population
of only 1,487,523.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...The national sport in Ecuador is soccer, called
"fútbol"...Ecuador qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup...Edson Arantes do Nascimento, best known as
"Pele", once said, "They play the most modern and surprising
soccer in all Latin America".
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Pope John Paul II visited Ecuador in 1985?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Mike Judge, who is a famous American animator and
producer, was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...Naturalist Charles Darwin visited Ecuador (1835) and was
delighted by the botanical and entomological diversity, collecting plants and
animals from the Galapagos Islands...?
DID YOU KNOW THAT...The first largest city in Ecuador is Guayaquil? This city
hosted the 4th Swimming World Championship in August 1982.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...first lady Martha Bucaram de Roldós (1979-1981) led the
Ecuadorian delegation to the United Nations Denmark Conference on Women in
1980.She was a woman that always worked with love for Ecuador.