Destructive footprints

Dear Editor:(In response to “A New Place in the Sun” from the Nation section of The Aspen Times dated Monday, March 20, but found in Tuesday’s edition of The Aspen Times.)This article describes an idyllic picture of wealthy Westerns buying second homes in Nicaragua, but it neglects to address the true and less romantic ramifications of this attack on a developing country. Much like what has been occurring in the Aspen area, in the Global South the rich of the Global North are inflating real estate and pushing out those who are the backbone and rightful residents of their communities. As Aspen rallies around the merits of its employee housing program, it is important to remember that those living in Nicaragua (and other developing countries) do not have the luxury of subsidized housing.Before purchasing real estate in a developing country, consider that although the price is cheap and the location enticing, you are directly destabilizing a country, robbing citizens of their homes/land and destroying their way of life.Americans must acknowledge their destructive footprints on those in the developing world! Please do not perpetuate the exploitation and destruction of these countries and their citizens by buying second homes in their communities.Anders GustafsonBasalt