ECUADOR STATE OF EMERGENCY: SITREP 2, 1300 HRS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000840 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2015 TAGS: PGOV ASEC EC SUBJECT: ECUADOR STATE OF EMERGENCY: SITREP 2, 1300 HRS APRIL 16 REF: A. QUITO 839 ¶B. QUITO 838 ¶C. QUITO 836 Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Demonstrations in Quito petered out early April 16. As of 0900, the city was calm, but police contacts report likely large gatherings commencing shortly after nightfall. The Ambassador reconvened the Country Team at 1000 hrs to discuss the situation on the streets, the safety and health of resident AmCits, and Embassy/USG next steps. Broadly, we will continue wide-spectrum outreach to pro-government and opposition forces alike, issue messages to the American community to exercise caution in movements, and seek media opportunities to publicize our messages of dialog and restraint. Congress will attempt to reconvene to debate rescinding the presidential emergency decree. End Summary. Street SitRep -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Large-scale, ad hoc demonstrations in Quito continued into the early hours of April 16; by all reports, they were boisterous but non-violent. By 0330, they had disappeared, and at 0900 hrs, the city was calm, with normal levels of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Despite the emergency decree's mobilization of the armed forces, soldiers were difficult to spot on the streets. Public schools opened, as did businesses. Quito Airport is operating normally. Embassy RSO contacts report that street gatherings likely will recommence at 1200 and 2000 hrs, spurred on by opposition leaders like Quito Mayor Paco Moncayo. Protecting Our People -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The Ambassador reconvened the Country Team at 1000 hrs. Topping the agenda was a discussion of the safety of the entire AmCit community, official and not. Consular Section staffers were putting finishing touches on warden message for immediate distribution; it warned of continuing mass protests in the capital area and urged Americans to exercise caution and good judgment in their movements. ¶4. (SBU) RSO offered other instructions for Mission employees and their families. They included: -- Testing their Embassy-supplied radios; -- Ensuring adequate stocks of essential supplies: food, water, batteries, candles, etc.; -- Requesting a 2000 hrs curfew until further notice -- Urging agency/section heads to repeal country clearances granted for April 17-22. In addition, Peace Corps Quito has instructed PCVs to remain at their posts and not travel to Quito except in emergencies. Opposition, Government Responses -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Embassy staff hit the phones upon arrival. Congressional contacts claimed the opposition was not lying down. PSC deputy Luis Fernando Torres called the emergency decree a "brilliant" tactical move, and was returning to Quito to plot next steps. He was unsure if Congress could reconvene earlier than next Wednesday, however, owing to the normal weekend recess and the April 18-19 visit of Chilean President Ricardo Lagos (which we have since heard has been cancelled). ID legislator Andres Paez was more optimistic, claiming his party already was organizing an impromptu Saturday session (a well-connected NGO contact confirmed Paez's account, as did PRIAN deputy Carlos Vallejo). PSC congressman Marcelo Dotti claimed 54-56 deputies would gather at 1700 hrs to rescind the president's emergency decree as well as the December 9 resolution that overhauled the Supreme Court. ¶6. (C) Milgroup and DAO commanders called on Ecuadorian Joint Forces chief Admiral Victor Rosero at 1100 hrs, preaching armed forces restraint and non-interference in civilian politics. They remain at Joint Forces HQ, and have been invited to participate in operational planning and briefs. Earlier, they telephoned commanders of operational brigades close to Quito. Those officers, solidly behind their commander-in-chief, pledged to maintain peace and constitutional order, thus offering Ecuador's politicians further chances to resolve the current crisis. Rosero later dismissed as disinformation recent rumors claiming that Gutierrez had sacked Army Commander Luis Aguas for being "insufficiently zealous in support of the state of emergency" and replaced him with confidant General Cesar Ubillus. ¶7. (SBU) ECON staff reached out to the GoE's prime economic players: Finance Minister Mauricio Yepez, who is currently in the United States; Commerce Minister Ivonne Baki, en route to Europe, and Labor Minister Raul Izurrieta. All agreed with the Embassy's message of restraint and dialogue, and promised to voice their concerns at today,s Cabinet meeting. ¶8. (SBU) Indigenous contacts tell us that leaders from all Ecuador's provinces are meeting today to discuss next steps. No mass mobilizations are yet planned, however, and the earliest they allegedly could occur was April 19. ¶9. (C) After speaking with Presidential Secretary Carlos Polit at 1040, the Ambassador telephoned Gutierrez. She noted the air of calm and praised the security forces' reasonable posture. The brief respite in protests provided Gutierrez an excellent opportunity for dialog, she emphasized. The president seemed to believe the quiet streets were purely the product of his decision to vacate the court, and initially pushed back. He took note of our concerns, however, claimed to have already spoken to Moncayo, and was considering lifting the state of emergency by late April 16. Embassy Next Steps -------------- ¶10. (C) Attempting to cool temperatures and bring opposition and GoE to the table, the Embassy April 16 intends to carry out the following: -- Ambassador contacting Defense Minister Nelson Herrera, Foreign Minister Patricio Zuquilanda, Yepez, and Moncayo; -- POL canvassing Congressional bloc leaders, pushing dialog and a constitutional, peaceful solution to the Court and broader political crisis; -- Regional Affairs, RSO maintaining close contacts with armed forces, police; -- Guayaquil Consul General calling coastal political players, urging they not seek advantage from the current chaos in Quito; -- USAID reaching out to NGO contacts; -- ECON continuing to lobby the GoE economic team, the Cabinet's most rational, effective force; ¶11. (C) Stateside, USG officials have echoed our points in calls to the Ecuadorian Embassy and visiting GoE officials. Two key April 16 telcons are imminent: A/S Noriega to Gutierrez, and Southcom Commander General Bantz Craddock to Rosero. The Mission has provided talking points. KENNEY