CJCS VISIT SUPPORTS DEMOCRACY, IMPROVED MIL-MIL

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000789

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/11/2015
TAGS: PREL MARR MASS MOPS SNAR PTER EC CO
SUBJECT: CJCS VISIT SUPPORTS DEMOCRACY, IMPROVED MIL-MIL
RELATIONS

REF: QUITO 773

Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) Summary: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Richard
Myers' April 11 visit to Quito advanced bilateral relations
with Ecuador by signaling our continued commitment to
military cooperation, and supported our pro-democracy and
pro-stability agenda at a sensitive moment. To President
Gutierrez, Gen. Myers praised GOE support for the war on
drugs, regional security and international peacekeeping in
Haiti, and especially for strong mil-mil relations with us.
President Gutierrez expressed his government's appreciation
for USG support, reaffirmed GOE commitment to secure its
northern frontier from narco-trafficking and spill-over from
the Colombian conflict, and said the GOE would soon expand
its commitment to the peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
Ecuadorian Joint Command Chief Adm. Victor Rosero briefed
Gen. Myers about Ecuadorian military posture and needs,
requesting USG support for arms destruction efforts and IMET.
To the press, Gen. Myers praised GOE military cooperation,
emphasizing that the transnational nature of today's threats
require coordinated efforts. He expressed hope that
Ecuadorians would resolve their problems in a democratic and
constitutional manner, reaffirming USG support for democracy
and its institutions. End Summary.

President Gutierrez: "We Remain Committed"
--------------


2. (C) In a private meeting with Gen. Myers and the
Ambassador, President Gutierrez welcomed Chairman Myers and
introduced Mauricio Pozo, Ecuador's Ambassador-designate to
the U.S. Gutierrez also thanked Gen. Myers and the
Ambassador for USG support for Ecuador's democracy. He
praised as particularly helpful the Ambassador's recent call
for political dialogue to address Ecuador's judicial crisis.


3. (SBU) A subsequent and more formal meeting took place in
the Cabinet room, where the chants of pro-government
demonstrators echoed through the windows of the presidential
palace. President Gutierrez was accompanied by Minister of
Defense Nelson Herrera; Gen. Myer's counterpart, Joint
Command Chief Victor Rosero; Acting Foreign Minister Edwin
Johnson; MFA U/S for Sovereignty Diego Stacy; and
Presidential Palace Commander Gen. Miguel Maldonado. Gen.
Myers was accompanied by the Ambassador, members of his team,
and Embassy staff.


4. (C) Gen. Myers thanked the President for his welcome,
briefly described his impressions of Colombia (good visit,
high military morale, optimism about the chances for success,
expanded control of the countryside),and mentioned the GoC's
appreciation for Ecuador's cooperation. He said the USG
wished to be a good partner to Ecuador. These visits are
very useful, he said, to exchange views and help inform U.S.
policy makers He looked forward to working with Ecuador's
new Ambassador in Washington.


5. (C) Gutierrez thanked Gen. Myers for USG support in the
war against drugs and terror, reaffirming a strong GoE
commitment to maintain its efforts to protect and secure
Ecuador's northern border. He cited excellent relations with
the Embassy and MILGRP and the need for "regional solidarity
against these threats" and said Gen. Myers visit was viewed
in this light. After Colombia, he said, Ecuador suffers the
most from Colombia's ills, including narco-transit and
spill-over from the conflict. The border region was most
greatly affected, with the population terrorized and the
inroads of narco-trafficking. Gutierrez claimed "great
cooperation and friendship" with President Uribe, and cited
the positive results of GoE cooperation (FARC leaders and
narco-traffickers apprehended and turned over to the GoC).
Ecuadorian military leaders would make the case for increased
USG assistance to "help balance our forces with those of the
narco-traffickers," he said.


6. (C) The Ambassador thanked the President for the
cooperation of various elements of his government, including
the MFA, and expressed confidence that Ambassador Pozo would
receive the same cooperation in Washington. She noted the
government's respect for freedom of expression, congratulated
Gutierrez for calling for political dialogue and praised the
professionalism of the armed forces. Gutierrez said the
press was also absolutely free to express views differing
with the government, and did so with regularity.

Meeting with Joint Staff
--------------


7. (C) At a working lunch with his joint chiefs attending,
Adm. Rosero presented an overview of GoE posture and assets
guarding its northern border with Colombia from
narco-traffickers and spill-over from the Colombian conflict.
A total of 5,585 soldiers are posted in the three northern
border provinces, with just one plane, seven helicopters and
seven boats to man the 400-mile riverine border. This
deployment was severely straining GOE resources, but the
GoE's commitment to remain was firm, he said.


8. (C) Rosero said the GoE was also interested in destroying
obsolete and contraband arms caches, but lacked sufficient
resources to do so. He requested USG assistance to help
Ecuador rid itself of these dangerous stores. Rosero, a
Naval War College graduate, closed with a plea to re-open
American war colleges to Ecuadorian officers. ASPA
restrictions on Ecuadorian access to American military
colleges were denying a younger generation of officers from
benefiting from exposure to American military doctrine. Gen.
Myers agreed this was unfortunate, and requested Rosero's
support for an Article 98 agreement. Rosero said it was
important for the GoE to prepare to enter into dialogue on
this issue.

Press and Reaction
--------------


9. (U) In a brief press conference following his meetings,
Gen. Myers noted that Ecuador is an important ally, praised
Ecuador's efforts in fighting drug trafficking and commended
the participation of Ecuadorian engineers as part of the
peacekeeping contingent in Haiti. He declined to respond to
questions about Ecuador's political crisis but expressed U.S.
support for democracy in Ecuador and hope that challenges
would be resolved through democratic and constitutional
means. Asked whether his presence could be viewed as support
for President Gutierrez, he denied it had anything to do with
the current political situation; it had been planned for
months. He added that he had discussed Ecuadorian and
regional security matters with the president. Press coverage
of the visit was factual and highlighted Gen. Myers
statements in support of democracy.

Comment
--------------


10. (C) Coming at a difficult moment in Ecuador's domestic
politics, the visit by the Chairman clearly signaled our
continued commitment to military cooperation with Ecuador.
With the Gutierrez government embattled and facing
potentially debilitating protests in coming days, the Myers
visit helped support our pro-democracy message. That message
will not be lost on Ecuador's fractious political and
economic elites, ever searching for signs of USG fatigue with
the Gutierrez administration, and helped to reinforce the
professional role of Ecuador's military. For this we are
very grateful to Gen. Myers and his team.
KENNEY