In a surprise turn of events, and as a follow-up to my February 8 posting, "Ecuador: 20 Foreign Tourists Robbed of Valuables at Wildlife Reserve," sixteen foreign tourists who were attacked in a remote nature reserve in the Ecuadorian Amazon near Sucumbíos, have been offered all-expense trips to the Galapagos Islands, compliments of Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa.
President Correa's gesture was to in some way recompense the tourists for their losses and to leave a positive tone on their visit to Ecuador.
The group, composed of American, Irish and Chilean tourists, was intercepted by six gunmen who robbed them of their belongings when they entered a lagoon nature reserve in the province of Sucumbíos, some 180 kilometers (111 miles) northeast of Quito, the capital.
COMMENT: Although many nations have victim compensation programs for visitors who are crime victims while visiting their countries, many do not. This gesture was indeed a very honorable step for President Correa to take and no doubt will have a lasting impression on the tourists who were robbed and may well cause them to return to Ecuador in the future.
President Correa's gesture was to in some way recompense the tourists for their losses and to leave a positive tone on their visit to Ecuador.
The group, composed of American, Irish and Chilean tourists, was intercepted by six gunmen who robbed them of their belongings when they entered a lagoon nature reserve in the province of Sucumbíos, some 180 kilometers (111 miles) northeast of Quito, the capital.
COMMENT: Although many nations have victim compensation programs for visitors who are crime victims while visiting their countries, many do not. This gesture was indeed a very honorable step for President Correa to take and no doubt will have a lasting impression on the tourists who were robbed and may well cause them to return to Ecuador in the future.
