ECUADOR UNDECIDED ON OAS SYG, SUPPORTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000121

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS USOAS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2014
TAGS: PREL AORC EC OAS
SUBJECT: ECUADOR UNDECIDED ON OAS SYG, SUPPORTS
CONSULTATIONS

REF: SECSTATE 10956

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Arnold Chacon, Reasons 1.4 (b)


1. (C) In response to Reftel regarding U.S. support for
Francisco Flores's OAS secretary general (OAS SYG) candidacy,
Charge January 19 called on Roberto Betancourt, the
Ecuadorian MFA's third-ranking official and
ambassador-designate to the United States (FM Patricio
Zuquilanda was unavailable and VFM Edwin Johnson is
accompanying GoE President Lucio Gutierrez on a U.S trip).
Charge noted the USG would soon announce publicly its backing
for Flores, hoped Ecuador too would favor the Salvadoran
ex-president, and pressed the GoE to lobby for an early OAS
SYG vote.


2. (C) Betancourt claimed Mexico and Chile were pressuring
the GoE to support their own candidates, Foreign Minister
Luis Derbez and Interior Minister Jose Miguel Insulza,
respectively. Chilean President Ricardo Lagos had contacted
GoE counterpart Lucio Gutierrez, for example. Derbez himself
recently called Zuquilanda seeking Ecuador's vote, as had
Chilean FM Ignacio Walker. Betancourt even had heard of a
fourth candidate entering the race, although he lacked
specifics. The GoE had yet to reach a decision, he revealed,
as the candidates, including Flores, were all excellent.


3. (C) Quito supported Washington's call for OAS SYG
consultations, Betancourt noted. It was vital the
hemisphere's nations reach consensus on a candidate, sooner
rather than later -- Ecuador thus backed the USG position
favoring a vote before the Ft. Lauderdale OAS General
Assembly in June.
Chacon