At noon, October 1, 2003...
At noon, October 1, 2003, citizens of Ecuador synchronized their watches for the first time in their history and began a national crusade against being late for work and appointments. The country's only Olympic gold medallist, the race-walker Jefferson Pérez, was featured on posters everywhere urging companies to bar tardy workers from meetings. In order to take seriously the challenge of becoming a modern economy, people have to do what they are supposed to do and be where they are supposed to be so that goods can be produced and services delivered efficiently.