Esteban Mendieta Jara - Blog

Today marks 2 years of the meeting between Rafael Correa and Richard Stallman , why Rafael Bonifaz and I have decided to write about as they did encounter. Here you can read the version of Rafael about the story.

During the election campaign of 2006, I worked one day receive mail the following 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'ma systems engineer. Currently in addition to my professional work I am active in free software communities of Ecuador. In this country, little is spoken on the subject, but countries like Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Spain and parts of Europe are migrating to the use of Free Software. To win you the election, propose a plan regarding the use of free software in the state?

To cite one example, now the municipality of Quito should pay IBM a value close to $ 200 000 per year for the use of your mail server and that the mayor can share your calendar with the council. We can offer a similar solution, with a bit of 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 that knows the subject. Are not tied 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 used by the state. How we could save by using free software and the money spent would stay in training national professionals, 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 emails told me and what I do with this?, I read the message and told him, give me the answer.

Had ever heard of him, Rafael Bonifaz , over in San Pancho and had also seen a couple of times, rather it stood with all his pint of geek that gets loaded into the U.

By the time we got the message, Free Software was not foreign to us online campaign team, yes 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 noticed a while 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 some months ago by the subject to see if we placed linux ....

... The truth if I think the country should have a clear policy regarding the use of free software and Rafael is a very passionate about technology, about
all new technologies, so I win and you will promote an approach Ecualug team to promote the widespread use of free software in Ecuador.

So wait patiently win a single round or perhaps in the
second and be sure you ask for time and space for a reunion
and can explain all of your ideas.

Regards

Esteban

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

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

I received the letter as lightning, but now the thing was to find the perfect time, because when the President-Elect and had many activities on the agenda, I was several days ago but the chances of it became void.

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

As everyone at the end of the conference, I was excited to have a picture with him for a change had no camera, but a friend of Spain Julian Coccia was from Ecuador and attended the talks, then sent us the photos.

Health with Richard . Rafael Bonifaz said, you're with time?, I said yes, but I have to cancel some things (visit to the bride), to meet a time, I said of course, while Richard finished photos and autographs, talking with the other 2 people who also accompanied me to the meeting, each family had plans and could not stay longer.

Richard and Rafael Bonifaz . approached and 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 I try divide two different dishes, I said ok, I could not believe it, talking and sharing my meal with the father of free software , I was amazed that time.

During dinner we talked at length, until the place closed recently and 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.

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

They said the meeting would be tomorrow December 12th at 14h00 but yes, it has to be only 10 minutes or less of that, because we have to go to Guayaquil at 15:00.

I called like crazy to Rafael to tell the great news, he was in half interview on the radio, talk and reconcile after all I said we have 10 minutes so you have to say to the point and no long stories, ahh and please come with patience that sometimes have to wait.

Then came the big day, December 12th, I went to the office early on to keep an eye Whimper if anything happened, I got out again with the President Elect to a luncheon that was scheduled at the end I went with him to the car and started to give details of the subject, had prepared a cheat sheet about it and said ahh this was already used in Germany, Finland, Belgium, I saw him, I was quite surprised.

We arrived at the office on time, I said already below those up?, I said, Rafael Bonifaz and accompanying him, were there apart from Richard , Maximilian and Paola, before that, the president reconsidered the cheat sheet, I did a couple of questions about it and gave my opinion, said pass.

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

We started the meeting and although he had previously indicated that only had 10 minutes, Richard started giving long the subject, I did not know how to tell, let's get the President just listened for 20 minutes without saying anything, even that we passed coffee, concluded her presentation and the Chairman has started asking questions about it, talked about copyright, patents, socialism, talked politics all up for 120 minutes, a meeting was scheduled for 10 minutes had been altered.

In the end we said good advisors who 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 that you have for the January 15?, I would like you to attend the transfer of power, indicating that Stallman apologized for that date and 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 on the website of Rafael Correa can see the note about it .

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

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

All that changed my life, I went from being a Linux user to an activist GNU / Linux and advocate the same for 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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