Making the Climb

Today I depart for Lima in the afternoon. I feel pretty good leaving Quito - I've completed a lot of interviews and I even have some waiting for me when I return to Quito in mid-May. The two main reasons for leaving are: 1) Ecuador is entering a campaign for an upcoming referendum in May (so, legislators will not be available because they will be campaigning); 2) Peru is having elections this Sunday (so their legislators will be returning from campaigning and I will be there to experience the election - very exciting). My non-urgent matters in Quito have, thus, been pushed back until mid-May when the referendum is over.

The best thing about doing this type of research is experiencing how other governments function. There's nothing like sitting and watching legislative debates or talking to a legislator and watching him/her get passionate about a particular issue, whether I'm in agreement or not. Even when I'm in disagreement, I just sit back and listen to them talk. Of course, some of my questions are modified to get them to clarify what they are really saying. This strategy developed---or, devolved---into a particularly interesting conversation with the president of the most recent constituent assembly, wow! Here is a photo from the plenary debates.


In a prior post, I mentioned that I discovered a few different paths to gain access to legislators' offices. As a visual aid, I've provided a few additional photos to demonstrate what I'm talking about. First, I present the front of the legislative assembly. This is generally where the people who come to watch the plenary debates enter.


Second, I present the back of the legislative assembly - this is where everybody who comes to work enters. Notice the metal structure that surrounds the building. Between this metal structure and the building, there is a staircase. I figured out a way to gain access to the archive, depart from the archive to the emergency stairs, and climb the external stairs until I get to my prioritized floor where a particular legislator works. I generally arrive calm and pretend like I should be there and just wait for an interview. This strategy has actually been more effective than my internal connections in the assembly. Arriving at the doorstep is pretty effective.


For lunch, I generally take the same route to eat on the rooftop. The views from the roof are incredible. Although there is security on every floor and every exit, they seem to not be too bothered by my presence. It may help that I stay and chat for about 15 minutes with some of them when I arrive in the morning and leave at the end of the day. For the most part, everyone gives me a lot of freedom within the building, even in places where it is obvious that I should not be. Here are some views from the rooftop.