Juan Aulestia, Resident Director of the Duke in the Andes study abroad program that we are currently on, is a man with many stories to tell. Sitting with Juan after a few tequila shots in the Ecuadorian cloud forest, we had the opportunity to hear about his experience with César Chávez as a migrant farm worker, lunch with Bob Dylan, and his involvement with the Black Panthers. It’s not unusual to show up at a festival or lecture and discover that Juan is organizing the fireworks show or giving the keynote speech. Needless to say, we thought his philosophy on life would be worth sharing. We sat down with Juan at his kitchen table, overlooking the dramatic valley and bohemian town of Guapulo.
The Argus: What inspired you to become so involved in the Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian movements?
Juan Aulestia: When I was nine, I went to live during summer vacation with my father who was working on the coast. There I got to know Afro-Ecuadorians. They were poor, but had beautiful architecture, like what you’d see in Tarzan. It was incredible. My dad let me go to the Marimba dances that happened every night. But on Friday, they were ritualistic and spiritual. Only the women would dance. They would enter into a trance, swaying towards the ground, foam in their mouth. From then on, I felt like some part of my soul was Afro-Ecuadorian.
A: You mentioned that even though your family would be considered “mestizo,” you felt that you had Afro-Ecuadorian and Indigenous roots. Do you feel part of those communities, or do you still feel like somewhat of an outsider?
JA: I live a duality. I feel like a piece of my identity is Afro and Indigenous. It is part of who I am, the way I think, and what I do.
A: Who has had the most profound influence on the way you view the world?
JA: Many, many people. My friend Luis Macas, one of the greatest indigenous leaders here in Ecuador. He is one of the founders of CONAIE [Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities in Ecuador] and was one of the leaders of the first Indigenous uprising in 1990.
A: What lessons did you learn from these mentors and inspirational figures?
JA: I learned about “Andean time.” I woke up to the fact that political decisions are impatient, but decisions made within the Indigenous movement are meant to take a long time. Luis Macas explained to me that we have resisted for over 500 years. But what we are doing now at incredible velocities, we should do in agreement with our time. Our time is slow because it is necessary that it be done collectively. We need to socialize, collectivize, and reclaim the culture, perspectives, desires, thoughts, and needs of the collective. This is the philosophy of Andean democracy. That’s how I learned patience.
A: You’ve clearly learned a lot from others. What is your personal life philosophy?
JA: That all activities and relationships should come from a place of harmony. To achieve this harmony, you need patience, practice, and self-reflection. To be open to advice and never feel threatened.
A: After having discovered your connection with the Afro-Ecuadorian and Indigenous people, what was your next step in terms of activism?
JA: When it came time to go to university, they wouldn’t let me enter. It was because of my political activism. In high school, I was one of the founders of the first YMCA in Quito, I worked on literacy projects with indigenous communities, and I led the youth Marxists chapter. I went to the United States because my mom wouldn’t let me go to Uruguay or Russia.
A: What is something you learned working as a migrant farm-worker in California?
JA: That in the United States of America there were sectors where people lived under a feudal system and exploitation that almost reached the level of slavery.
A: You have mentioned that the philosophical division between the political right and left is incorrect. Why is that so, and what is your personal view?
JA: The idea of left and right is an imported ideology that was developed in a reality totally different than ours, especially distinct form the Indigenous and Afro reality. In truth, politics is vertical. It’s a pyramid. There is a small minority at the top with all the power and the majority at the bottom is exploited by those at the top. Politics is a power relationship.
A: How would you differentiate this view from the class-centered view of Marxists and others on the left?
JA: The first Marxists were against the existing structures of power. In that way they were related to the Indigenous conception of power. Christianity also talks about equality. But where can we see this in practice?
A: You have mentioned that we are on the brink of world crisis. Regarding this crisis, what is your message for young people of America, and the rest of the world?
JA: We need to construct a world free from the stresses of consumerism and individualism. We need to drop the idea that we should get everything we want because it’s destroying our environment. What is this world crisis? The cause is the capitalist system. One clear effect is global warming.