MFA WINS PRESIDENT'S EAR; BETANCOURT TO WASHINGTON

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000042 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2014 TAGS: PREL PGOV EC SUBJECT: MFA WINS PRESIDENT'S EAR; BETANCOURT TO WASHINGTON REF: A. QUITO 3302 ¶B. QUITO 3151 Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (U) This telegram contains an action request; please see Paragraph 4. ¶2. (C) President Lucio Gutierrez, in January 3 comments to Ecuador's Channel 1 television, revealed his candidate to head the GoE's embassy in Washington: Roberto Betancourt, currently the MFA's subsecretary (U/S equivalent) for bilateral affairs. Betancourt was Gutierrez's early choice, the president informing the Ambassador December 2 he required a professional diplomat in Washington, skilled in negotiation and well-versed in trade matters (Ref A). Two weeks later, however, presidential insider Carlos Polit told the Ambassador that Gutierrez was reconsidering, instead eyeing ex-Finance Minister Mauricio Pozo for the key Washington posting (Ref B). ¶3. (C) Over lunch with the Ambassador January 5, Commerce Minister Ivonne Baki confirmed that Gutierrez solidly backed the career dip. She and Polit had lobbied hard for Pozo, but had lost the battle to Foreign Minister Patricio Zuquilanda, Betancourt's primary patron. ¶4. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST. We understand that, upon receipt of Ref B, the Department slowed agrement processes, pending clarification of Gutierrez's commitment to a candidate. With the GoE's preference now clear, we recommend the Department restart agrement for Roberto Betancourt, Ecuador's U.S. ambassador-designate. KENNEY