Vice-President of Ecuador, Lenin Moreno, has been proposed as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work for the disabled. Who is he?
Lenin Moreno was born in 1953 and depends on his own wheelchair. During the critical hours in an assumed coup attempt 30 september 2010, it was he who appeared on the screen, spoke calmly, and gave people confidence in the public institutions. President Correa himself was captived in a hospital.
Moreno is known as the author of writings with titles such as “Humor in Theory and Practice”, “Being happy is easy and fun,” “The best jokes in the world” and “Laugh, don’t not be sick.”
But it isn’t because of his good mood and jokes he is proposed to the prize. Even if it should be a good reason.
Moreno an his project “Mision Solidaria Manuela Espejo” started with visiting houses with disabled members all over the country and offered tecnical help. The next step was a support schemes for families. In the hospitals they are now testing all the newborns for the eventuality of physical or mental disability. Together with other measures theese are parts of a coordinated program which include several ministries.
Moreno is now travelling in other latinamerican countries explaining the succes.
But do he have any real options of winning the peace prize? In a world of wars, hunger and lack of freedom to speach, what is the value of the disabled? Well, the chairman of the Noble comitee Thorbjørn Jagland is a lover of media-friendly decisions. Lenin Moreno rolling up to the podium. receiving the award and keeping one of his wayvard speeches will definitely give a good impressionto the press.