Esteban Mendieta Jara - Blog

Today marks two years of the meeting between Rafael Correa and Richard Stallman , why Rafael Bonifaz and I have decided to write about as it did this meeting. You can read the version of Rafael on history.

During the election campaign of 2006, where I worked , one day we received the following email message:

--- Forwarded message ----
From: Rafael Bonifaz
Date: October 4, 2006 11:53
Subject: Free Software
To: Rafael Correa

Dear Rafael,

My name is Rafael Bonifaz and I am a Systems Engineer. Currently in addition to my professional work I am an active member of open source communities of Ecuador. In this country, little is spoken on the subject, but countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, parts of Spain and Europe are migrating to the use of Free Software. To win you the election, would propose a plan regarding the use of free software in the state?

To cite one example, today the municipality of Quito should pay IBM a value approaching $ 200,000 per year for the use of your email server and that the mayor can share your calendar with the council. We can offer a similar solution, with some software development and use of free software for a cost of nearly $ 20,000 for a single time. Hence, the municipality can hire us to support us or any other company who knows the subject. They do not get attached to us.

With $ 200,000 a year can do more for the benefit of the community rather than pay a fee for use of computers. This is only a servant of a municipality. Imagine the cost of all licenses of Windows, Office and other programs that use the state. How could we save by using free software and the money spent would stay in national vocational training, instead of paying multinationals.

Sincerely,

Rafael Bonifaz

PD. The main free software community in Ecuador:
www.ecualug.org

One person who was responsible for reviewing the post he said, and what I do with this, read the message and told him, give me what I say.

Had ever heard of him, Rafael Bonifaz , back in San Pancho and I had also seen a couple of times, better placed him with all his pint of geek to be carried in the U.

By the time we got the message, the Free Software but we had no stranger to the internet campaign staff, that we called it Linux only and not by name GNU / Linux , and worked with him and was part of our day to day campaign, virus-free, safe and hassle free falls.

One day I found some time to answer the mail and indicated the following (in summary):

--- Original Message ---
Subject:
Re: [Fwd: Free Software]
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 12:02:18 -0500
From: Esteban Mendieta Jara
To: rafael.bonifaz

Dear Rafael ....

How are you? I wrote you some months ago by the issue to see if we placed linux ....

... The truth if I think the country should have a clear policy regarding the use of free software, also, that Rafael is a very passionate about technology, about
all new technologies, so that if he wins I will promote a rapprochement with you and the team Ecualug to promote the mass use of free software in Ecuador.

So wait patiently to win in one turn or perhaps in the
second and be sure you ask for time and space for a meeting
and can explain all of your ideas.

Regards

Esteban

After that things were on hold until election day, as you know we had to go to a runoff and won.

Well done my offer to make the meeting, but precisely in those days was read by the Ecualug that RMS would the country to give talks, really knew almost nothing about him, I was a geek and had something to do with Free Software , I researched on it and saw it was nothing less and nothing more than the " Father of Free Software ", I said this is golden opportunity, we must seize it, I wrote to Rafael Bonifaz indicating that it would be nice to have a meeting with him, and that need a letter on this subject.

I received the letter as a beam, but now the thing was to find the perfect time since being elected President and had many activities on the agenda, spent several days behind this but the possibilities became void.

Conference came Richard Stallman was invited Rafael Correa , was unable to attend but two people attended this conference at the Polytechnic, as I said earlier, I had read about free software, he knew something about the topic, but to hear Richard simply said, this is for the country, our country needs to go to the Free Software.

As everyone at the end of the conference, was thrilled to get a picture with him for a change had no camera, but a friend of Spain Julian Coccia was attended by Ecuador and talks, then sent us some pictures.

Greeted with Richard . Rafael Bonifaz said, you're in time?, I said yes, but I have to cancel some things (visit to the girlfriend), to meet a moment, I said of course, while Richard finished photos and autographs, chatted with the other two people who also accompanied me to the meeting, each family had plans and could not stay longer.

Richard and Rafael Bonifaz . came and we decided to go to dinner would be best, one of the people who accompanied me gave me a ride and I would meet Rafael Bonifaz and Richard at the restaurant. There I met for the first time Roberto Roggiero another great free software activist, I sat near Stallman and asked me want to share the food with me?, I said, how? you ask for a dish, I another, and so we divide two dishes taste different, I said ok, I could not believe it, talked and shared my meal with the father of free software , I think I was hallucinating at the time.

During dinner we talked at length, until by little and closed the place, I liked both his philosophy and how he conceived the idea of the project GNU , I said, Richard , at all costs get that appointment, because it I get it.

He was told time and would stay a few days, just on Monday the President asked me to accompany him on some errands, then I consulted him, whether he had the opportunity of this meeting, I commented briefly on the issue and I ahh said that about Linux , I said ok, to be put on agenda.

They said the meeting would be tomorrow December 12 at 14.00 but of course, has to be only 10 minutes or less of that, because we have to go to Guayaquil at 15h00.

I called like crazy to Rafael to tell the big story, the half was in the radio interview, after talking and square everything I said we have 10 minutes so you have to say to the point and no long stories, and ahh please come sometimes patiently wait.

The great day arrived, December 12, I went to the office early in the Whimper to be aware if anything happened, I had to leave again with the President Elect for a lunch that was scheduled to end this I went with him to the car and started to give details of the item, had prepared an aide memoire and told me about it ahh this already used in Germany, Finland, Belgium, where I saw, to my surprise.

We arrived at the office on time, and told me who go up are down?, Said, Rafael Bonifaz and accompanying him, were there apart from Richard , Maximilian and Paola, before that, the President reviewed again for the help memory, I made a couple of questions about it and gave my opinion, said pass.

Passed waved and one of the anecdotes that I remember is that the President said, so you are the free software at the time greeting each one, but he greeted with Maximiliano said "you if you face free software."

We started the meeting and although he had indicated previously that we only had 10 minutes, Richard began to give long the subject, I do not know how to say, get to the point, the President just listened for 20 minutes without saying anything, even that we passed coffee, concluded her presentation and the President has started asking questions on the subject, talked about copyright, patents, socialism, talked to all policy for 120 minutes, a meeting was scheduled for 10 minutes had been altered.

Finally we said good, to counselors that were there, they think about it?, We gave our opinions and we said, ok, then, from January 16 State policy the use of Free Software, I was surprised, then of this the President told Stallman you have for the January 15?, I would like you to attend the transfer of power, Stallman apologized stating that by that time had other conferences, were to meet in the future if necessary.

He spent the press came the respective photos, questions of television, but the media did not cover anything about it in the website of Rafael Correa can see the note on .

During the meeting the President noted the importance of technology for a state, is why it is planned to have an institution devoted to the subject a few months later created the Secretariat for Information .

The story does not end there, the President again gave its support to Free Software with a video for FLISOL 2007 , indicating it is a state policy in April 2008 and signed the 1014 decree declaring the use of free software for all State entities .

All this changed my life, I went from being a Linux user an activist of GNU / Linux and defender of the benefit of the country and the much needed technological sovereignty of states.

Those "10 minutes" changed my life and the history of free software in Ecuador.

The software is already all!

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