García Moreno, although maligned for his highly…

García Moreno, although maligned for his highly proclerical and dictatorial ways, had made a number of vital contributions to the development of the nation.

Perhaps the most important advances are in education.

The establishment of many new schools at all levels, from primary to the poly technical training school in Quito, elicits universal praise, despite the fact that the Jesuits are largely responsible for these accomplishments.

Transportation links with Quito have also been vastly improved with the building of roads to Esmeraldas and to Babahoyo, near Guayaquil, as well as the first portion of the railroad linking Quito with Riobamba and Guayaquil.

These public works have not only promoted national unity but also have helped Quito begin a long-delayed effort to overcome the geographic barriers that have historically caused its isolation, an isolation that has hindered the nation's integration into the world economy.