PRESIDENT AND FM TO TRAVEL TO ROME

UNCLAS QUITO 000750 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL EC SUBJECT: PRESIDENT AND FM TO TRAVEL TO ROME REF: A. QUITO 721 ¶B. QUITO 720 ¶1. President Gutierrez plans to travel to Rome with First Lady Ximena Bohorquez and Foreign Minister Patricio Zuquilanda on April 6 to attend funeral services for Pope John Paul II. Gutierrez will return to Ecuador on April 10. Zuquilanda will travel to Washington (for OAS SYG election) from Rome on April 10 and return to Ecuador on April 14. ¶2. On April 2, from his hometown of Tena, Gutierrez expressed condolences on the part of his government and the Ecuadorian people at the death of the Pope. The GoE declared three days of mourning with flags flown at half-mast. Gutierrez attended a special mass for the Pope on April 3 at Quito's Cathedral, next to the Presidential palace. Upon attempting to leave the mass, Gutierrez was met by hecklers upset at the return to Ecuador of controversial ex-President Abdala Bucaram and chose not to leave through the main door. ¶3. We recommend the Department coordinate with the Ecuadorian Embassy in Washington to arrange meetings with visiting FM Zuquilanda to discuss the Cuba resolution, OAS SYG election, our democracy concerns here, and trade issues per reftels. KENNEY