Peace Without Poison

Ecuador’s leaders began controlling population growth in 1963 but have proceeded with morecare and compassion than all other nations in Latin America save for Bolivia. A military juntaoverthrew President Carlos Julio Arosemena Monroy (1961-1963) in July 1963 because herefused to start population control measures, as he had been instructed by the Americanambassador. By 1966 the military put in place the tools necessary to control population growth.The military then cleared the way for President Otto Arosemena (1966-1968), who, contrary toexpectations, refused to subvert his people’s reproductive rights. His successor, José MaríaVelasco Ibarra (1968-1972), who had already served four presidential terms, began familyplanning measures as soon as he was elected for the fifth time.Until 1996, when Abdalá Bucaram became president and introduced salt fluoridation, Ecuador’spopulation control program had proceeded legally through better provision of contraceptives andfamily planning services. Since 1996, however, the drop in fertility has been accomplishedthrough fluoride poisoning and therefore illegally.231 | P a g e