Esteban Mendieta Jara - Blog

Today marks 2 years since the meeting between Rafael Correa and Richard Stallman, why Rafael Bonifaz and I have decided to write about how this event happened. Here you can read the version of Raphael on the story.

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 AM
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 in 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 FOSS in the state?

To cite one example, today the municipality of Quito should pay IBM a value approaching $ 200 $ 000 per year for use of its 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 close to $ 20 000 for a single time. Hence, the municipality can hire us to support us or any other company that knows the subject. They do not stay attached to us.

With $ 200 000 per year can do more for the benefit of the community rather than pay a fee to use 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 much we could 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 is:
www.ecualug.org

One of the people who ran up on email told me and what I do with this?, I read the message and said, give it to me I answer.

Had ever heard of him, Rafael Bonifaz, back in San Pancho and I had also seen a couple of times, better placed him with his whole pint of geek who was charged in the U.

By the time we got the message, the Free Software we wonder at 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 mail and indicated that 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 issue to see if we placed linux ....

... The truth if I feel the country should have a clear policy regarding the use of free software, besides 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 CentOS team to promote the mass use of free software in Ecuador.

So wait patiently win over one lap, or perhaps in the
second and rest assured that time and ask for a meeting space
and can explain all his ideas.

Greetings

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 by that time had just read by CentOS that RMS would reach the country to give talks, the truth knew almost nothing about him, he was a geek and had something to do with Free Software , I inquired about him and saw that it was nothing less and nothing more than the "Father of Free Software", I said this golden opportunity is there to take 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, as being already the President-Elect had many activities on the agenda, spent several days behind this but the chances they became invalid.

Conference came Richard Stallman was invited Rafael Correa, could not 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 move Free Software.

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

Greeted with Richard. Rafael Bonifaz said, you're in time?, I said yes, but I have to cancel some things (visit the bride), to meet a moment, I said of course, while Richard finished photos and autographs, chatted 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 a meal with me?, I said, how? ask for your dish, I another, we divide it and try on two different dishes so 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, I get it because I get it.

He was told time and would stay a few days, just on Monday the President had asked me to accompany him on some errands, at that time 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, put it on the agenda.

They said the meeting would be am 12 December at 14h00 but that it has to be just 10 minutes or less than that, since we have to go to Guayaquil at 15:00.

I called like crazy to Rafael to tell the big story, he was in half a radio interview after talking and fit everything I said we only have 10 minutes so I tell him I have to go to grain and no long stories, ahh and please come to sometimes have to wait patiently.

On the big day, December 12, went early to the office where Whimper to be pending if anything happened, I was out again with the President Elect a luncheon that was scheduled at the end of this I went with him to the car and started to elaborate the theme, had developed a memory aid and told me about it ahh already used in Germany, Finland, Belgium, I saw him, I was quite surprised.

We arrived at the office on time, they told me are already below those up?, Said, Rafael Bonifaz and accompanying him, were there apart from Richard, Maximilian and Paola, before that, the President reconsidered the memory aid, 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 that you are the free software at the time greeting each one, but he greeted with Maximilian said "if you look you Free Software".

We started the meeting and although he had indicated previously that we only had 10 minutes, Richard started giving him long to the subject, I did not know how to tell, come to the point, the President just listened for 20 minutes without saying anything, until it passed us coffee, finished his statement and the President has started asking questions about the topic and 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 who were there, they think about it?, We gave our opinions and we said, okay, then, from Jan. 16 policy that their use of Free Software, I was surprised, then of this the President told Stallman that you have for Jan. 15?, I would like you to attend the handover, saying 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 for a state, that is why we are planning to have an institution devoted to the subject a few months later created the Secretariat for Information Technology.

The story does not end there, the President once 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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