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Hi Pablo,
you are a social network citizen
Tell me: what is your main activity there?
Well, from the professional scope what I look for,
mainly on Twitter, and occasionally Facebook
is to share information, links and enhance the debate and talk about sensitive issues
which are of general interest and may generate discussion
always focusing on generating opinions
which may enrich arguments on what is happening
day to day
Are there many people devoted to it?
I mean, do you find any echo on your Twitter activities?
Definitely, and I get more followers every day:
professional people from their offices, universities, workplace...
through their mobile, who are contributing, who listen to the conventional media
and contrast that biased agenda to what is being said in communitiesm
in study groups that didn't exist before
and which talk about such ever-changing, critical political issues
so society is making its voice heard
more and more strongly
-I think I wouldn't be wrong in saying that there is a political
polarization in Ecuador, isn't there?
Yes, perphaps like Argentina's or Venezuela's models
It would seen a little bit ironic
but the USA is also undergoing such polarization
between the Republican and the Democratic parties
Socialism in Venezuela in front of the opposition parties
Kirchnerism in Argentina
and let's say here (in Ecuador) Correism versus the opposition
-And what side does the media take?
Well, like in all the aforementioned countries
they back up the businesspeople, the media corporation
who have imposed their agendas
Nevertheless, they also stand as one of the few citizen representatives
in front of Power, in front of the socialist propaganda in a way.
-Is this also reflected in the social networks?
-Of course, and you know how easily influenced public opinion can be
because "the inhabitants of the neighbouring town
want to get the biggest piece of the cake"
searching for arguments, getting too excited and sometimes,
unfortunately, even ending up insulting, getting involved into
unnecessary quarrels, however, like in any garden
some roses are more beautiful than others
which may contribute much more with ideas
sparkling some light into debate, towards the issue
being dealt with.
-One thing I have realized is that
there are few serious political blogs
-Well, there are a few, two or three
you don't find them in the Campus Party
but I can recommend the blog "Realidad EC"
"Realidad Ecuador" on the Internet
and "Realidad EC" on Twitter
which is a webpage that's publishing 2 or 3 posts per week
trying to make a contribution, and what is more,
it gathers the opinions from social networks.
There is also another site, which is more technical
as to the legislative and executive issues
which is called "Poderes"
And on the other side, there are the conventional media
that try to focus quite a lot the opinions
conveyed through the networks
among citizens expressing themselves
through social networks
-What do you know about activism, but not political activism
I mean, social activism in Ecuador?
-Well, there is plenty of activism, which has always been increasing
and becoming more evident, namely, pro-LGBT activism
which fights against homophobia,
in favor of feminist causes, transsexualism, etc, etc.
this is what is making a lot of noise
and their voices are becoming stronger and stronger
in a society which keeps being conservative
For example, there are anarchist and libertarian groups
mainly made up of scholars who are really involved in their area
and who have also found a channel to express their ideas
and it arose the dynamic in which one expresses
some ideas freely in the Internet and has found recipients
people who preach the same idea
and this has been growing little by little
not with a significant force, although it has given rise to clusters
which can be thought of as the nucleous
of a strong activist movement
-Moving on to a different topic:
What blogs do you read often?
and what twitter users do you normally follow
or deserve your trust for their seriousness and reliability?
Well, there are people I can mention
like [unintelligible] a great female scriptwriter
and cinema and theatre director from Quito
working at the Isna, who is a very good professional
who studied Literature and makes very good comments
There is also the writer Eduardo Varas from Quito
and who lives in Quito, who also has very interesting blogs
on activism as well as on cinema
And also the aforementioned web page "Realidad Ecuador"
by a couple of lawyers
who make use of this platform to expose their opinions
I forgot to mention the new platform
the new site which is called "Check in City"
which is a parody of Guayaquil and deals with topics
with no agenda, using a colloquial, open and popular language
which addresses the opposing youth
although not in a political sense, but
referred to the system, that is, opponents to society
where there are voices who express with a disinterested spirit
their proposals, their complaints and
it is also taking fine form and greater strength
it is a web page with several contributors
that presents in a reliable way
their posts, their criticisms among other things
on a weekly basis.
-Any anecdote related to your Internet activity that you can talk about?
-Well, I've got several of them
Undoubtedly it is the result that can be obtained
from the current heated debates where
if you are speaking objectively about an issue
why don't you take a stance
well, my personal philosophy is rather humanistic
and I look for the union, the agreement among ideas
while in a society where you are asked to take a stance
you come across with rows
where they end up insulting, disrespecting
and the interesting thing here is to reverse that situation
and to make those people understand, who call you "tepid"
because you don't take sides
But no, what you are trying to do is set up and introduce ideas
and look for communication
This is maybe the most interesting thing
because one gets very involved in a debate
and gets too excited and falls away from the main debate
from the dialogue that may exist
-I think you haven't mentioned it,
how do we find you on Twitter?
-I am pgarzon on Twitter and
www.facebook.com/pgarzon on Facebook
if you want to know more about me
about my trips, my pictures, etc.
I will gladly meet you
we keep in touch
-Thank you
your welcome
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