ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS MEETING CRITICAL OF U.S.

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 002390

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SENSITIVE
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C O R R E C T E D COPY - PARA MARKINGS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2016
TAGS: PGOV EC PREL UN IO
SUBJECT: ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS MEETING CRITICAL OF U.S.

REF: QUITO 2351

Classified By: PolOff Erik Martini for reasons 1.4 (B&D)


1. (C) Summary: At the Quito Regional Meeting of the Alliance
of Civilizations, President Palacio recycled his UNGA speech
and Foreign Minister Carrion acted as host. Many
participants openly attacked U.S. policies; others had only
veiled criticism. Linked closely to the Academy of
Latinicity ("Academie de la Latinite"),the meeting seemed
more of a vehicle for Latin scholarship than concrete
proposals. End Summary.

Background
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2. (U) With Department concurrence, the Ambassador attended an
opening reception hosted by FM Carrion and PolOff attended
the closing session of the Alliance of Civilization meeting
in Quito September 23-24. The event attracted some big names
in Ecuadorian politics: Nina Pacari, indigenous ex-foreign
minister; former president Rodrigo Borja; and indigenous
leader Auki Tituana, mayor of Cotacachi. Most of the
speeches focused on human rights issues and the United
Nations' role in the world. Some speakers were openly
anti-American and others simply criticized hegemony without
naming superpowers. The meeting showed strong links to the
Brazil-based Academy of Latinicity, which held its annual
conference simultaneously.

Palacio On Unipolarity, UN Reform and a New World Order
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3. (SBU) President Alfredo Palacio gave the closing remarks
to the Quito Regional Meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations
in the Guayasamin Foundation's Temple of Man on September 25.
The Temple of Man is a cultural center created by and
dedicated to one of Ecuador's most famous modern artists and
indigenous advocates, Oswaldo Guayasamin. In remarks,
Palacio called unipolarity the biggest threat to civilization
in the world today. He declared himself in favor of UN
Security Council "democratization" and a south-south axis.
In an echo of his speech at the General Assembly, he
reiterated Ecuador's vision of a new world order based upon
economy, international rights and (oddly) biology.

Other Participants Criticize U.S., Divide Civilizations
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4. (U) Before Palacio entered the room, Candido Mendes, a
professor at his namesake university in Brazil and General
Secretary of the Academy of Latinicity, spoke at length on

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Latinicity and the differences between the Latin world and
Saxon world, including emphasis on the view that Latin
cultures are more communal and open. He called the U.S. one
of the most "potent threats to world stability" and
criticized U.S. "democratic evangelization and worldwide
hegemony." He cited Lopez Obrador's shadow government as an
example of true democracy in action.


5. (U) Federico Mayor, representing UN SecGen Kofi Annan,
chaired the Quito Regional Meeting. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and the Guayasamin Foundation also sponsored.
Federico Mayor is the President of the Academy of Latinicity
and an ex-UNESCO Director. His speech was not as anti-U.S.
as Candido Mendes', but emphasized differences between Latin
and non-Latin western cultures. "There is a West that is
Europe that must play a great role as defender of human
rights and democracy. We have a North-American West and,
fortunately, a West that is Latin American."

Comment
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6. (C) The Quito Regional Meeting of the Alliance of
Civilizations seemed intended more to sub-divide civilization
(in this case, solely Western civilization, into its Latin
and non-Latin elements) rather than seek to bring distinct
civilizations together to explore shared values. GOE
participation was more symbolic than substantive. The most
anti-U.S. rhetoric came from non-Ecuadorian academics and
cultural officials.
JEWELL