ECUADORIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TO ATTEND

UNCLAS LA PAZ 002912 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL SUBJECT: ECUADORIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE TO ATTEND BOLIVIAN REVOLUTIONARY CONFERENCE ¶1. (U) An article and a full page advertisement in the October 26 edition of the Bolivian daily La Razon states that Ecuadorian presidential candidate Rafael Correa will be attending a conference in Bolivia titled the "First Meeting of the Peoples and States for the Liberation of the Homeland -- Global Solidarity for the Bolivian Revolution." The full page advertisement calls Rafael Correa the "legitimate President of Ecuador." (See SEPTEL for reference to the Ambassador's discussion of this topic in his meeting with Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera on October 26). The conference's stated objective is to establish a new organization which will be a strategic alliance of social sector groups and Latin American governments that will carry the Spanish name Bloque Regional de Poder Popular (BRPP). The meeting will take place in Sucre, October 27-29. ¶2. (U) According to the La Razon article, Bolivian presidential spokesperson Alex Contreras announced yesterday that Rafael Correa will attend the two day meeting. Per the advertisement, Correa is scheduled to speak after Bolivia's President Morales inaugurates the event. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: There is speculation that Morales' Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party paid for the full page advertisement in La Razon, but the GOB claims it is not sponsoring the event. The declaration of Rafael Correa as the "legitimate President of Ecuador" is direct interference in Ecuador's electoral process. President Morales has a history of interfering in a neighbor's elections as witnessed by his direct support of Ollanta Humala in Peru's election earlier this year. End Comment. GOLDBERG