Travelling from the vibrant salsa capital of Cali to the whitewashed colonial jewel of Popayán, and then south through emerald green scenery towards the Ecuadorean border, I began imagining myself on a journey ever closer to paradise.
How the hell do you replace him?" It was a pertinent question: Jermaine Pennant, a potential successor, suffered in comparison with the electric Ecuadorean.
This is a case of selecting the facts to fit your story.The actual situation is that Ecuadorean media regulations prevent outlets from taking an "institutional position over the innocence or guilt of people involved in a legal investigation".
He may not like the fact that a previous, elected Ecuadorean government settled in full the claims against Texaco, but it did.
The oilfield visited by President Rafael Correa, referred to in your article, is one example.Moreover, it is wrong to suggest that the agreement signed by a former Ecuadorean government absolves Chevron-Texaco of all environmental responsibility.
Two years ago, an Ecuadorean court in Lago Agrio, an Amazon town, imposed a colossal $19 billion fine on the company over pollution allegedly caused in the 1970s and 1980s by Texaco, bought by Chevron in 2001.
"History, language and similarity of culture have all eased integration," says Raúl Jiménez of the Rumiñahui Association, a group that helps Ecuadorean migrants.
But no Ecuadorean president has secured a second consecutive term since the 19th century, and none of Mr Correa's three elected predecessors managed to finish their terms.
If in the previous year one firm had sales in Brazil of more than 400m reais ($198m) and the other sales above 30m reais, any deal now needs the regulator's approval.In this section An Ecuadorean history of the world A champion for choice?
Colombian officials say privately that their efforts to defeat the FARC, whose money comes mainly from drug-trafficking and kidnapping, are hindered by the complicity of some Ecuadorean officials with the rebels.
President Alejandro Toledo's government called off a bilateral meeting of foreign and defence ministers, and backed away from plans for free-trade talks with Chile.Officials also chose to rake up allegations by an Ecuadorean general that Chile had sold his country weapons during a border war with Peru in 1995.
