ECUADOR MAY BE ALLY ON LEBANON

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 002007 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2016 TAGS: PREL IS LE MOPS PHUM UN PTER EC SUBJECT: ECUADOR MAY BE ALLY ON LEBANON REF: A. STATE 128442 ¶B. STATE 130145 Classified By: PolChief Erik Hall for reasons 1.4 (b&d). ¶1. (C) In response to Ref A points, MFA U/S Gonzalo Salvador told PolChief on August 9 that the GOE supports any effort to achieve a cease-fire in Lebanon, including the draft resolution pending in the Security Council. ¶2. (C) On the Human Rights Council special session (Ref B), after initially signaling that the GOE might abstain, Salvador agreed to urge Ecuador's Geneva Ambassador Mauricio Montalvo, Salvador's immediate predecessor in the MFA and a good Embassy contact, to explore possibilities for the GOE to join with other GRULAC members in support of blocking a vote on Lebanon. He concurred that the Council should defer any action which might distract from achieving a cease-fire decision in the UNSC. ¶3. (C) Salvador later called to say he had spoken to Montalvo, who confirmed that the session had been convoked by the required 16 members, and without GOE support. Salvador asked Montalvo to "seek balance and if possible seek a Latin American consensus against this distration from the UNSC's decision." He noted that Mexico had convoked the session. ¶4. (C) Comment: Salvador's initial reaction to our request was revealing. The GOE is loath to lead in international fora and usually seeks to avoid controversy through abstention or to take refuge behind a Latin American consensus. Though willing to explore the possibilities in Geneva through its very able young Ambassador there, Salvador gave the distinct impression that as usual, the GOE would act only with GRULAC cover. Perhaps to dampen our expectations, Salvador also noted that the GOE had voted in favor of a resolution in Geneva expressing concern about Israel's "disproportionate" actions in South Lebanon. BROWN