AMBASSADOR INAUGURATES REGIONAL ANTI-NARCOTICS

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 002233 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: TEN YEARS TAGS: MARR MAS MOPS PREL SNAR EC CO SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR INAUGURATES REGIONAL ANTI-NARCOTICS CENTER ON BORDER WITH COLOMBIA Classified By: Ambassador Linda Jewell for Reasons 1.4 (b&d). ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Ambassador Jewell participated in the inauguration of an approximately $2 million NAS-funded regional antinarcotics center in the northern city of Tulcan, Carchi province, on September 24. The facility will serve as a command center and checkpoint five miles from the Colombian border, on the primary roadway from Colombia into Ecuador. In the inauguration ceremony, the Ambassador was accompanied by Ecuador's Minister of Government and Police, Gustavo Larrea, and other dignitaries, who publicly praised the USG and GOE's commitment to counter narcotics. The presence of Larrea and others, and the high level of attention the event received in the press just a few short days before constitutional assembly elections, demonstrate the GOE's commitment to counter narcotics and the Ecuadorian public's concern about rising illicit drug activity, especially in the Northern border region. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) The Carchi Anti-narcotics Center is an integrated command and checkpoint facility located in Tulcan, Carchi province, which reflects the excellent cooperation between the Embassy and the GOE in counternarcotics. Approximately five kilometers south of the Colombian border, the Center is located in a strategic site for checking passenger and cargo vehicles and serves as a base of operations for special anti-narcotics police units, including the GEMA (Mobile Units) and CAC (Canine Units),conducting operations along the roads and at other locations in the area. ¶3. (SBU) Even though Ecuador was less than a week from its constitutional assembly elections, the inauguration ceremony was attended by Ecuador's Minister of Government and Police, Gustavo Larrea. Minister Larrea said that Ecuador is a regional leader in Latin America in counter narcotics and that the "fight against drugs is a clear commitment of the government." He praised the GOE's efforts, saying that Ecuador has been successful in remaining only a transit country and not a producer country, and expressed appreciation for the USG's contribution in counternarcotics. Larrea clarified that the Anti-narcotics Center in Carchi will be used specifically for counternarcotics purposes and that the Center is not a military installation like Manta (no American military presence). In response to media questions, Larrea did later reiterate the GOE,s position on non-renewal of the Manta FOL agreement. ¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Jewell emphasized in her remarks that the bilateral relationship has produced important results, that the increase in seizures and arrests has been accompanied by an increase in trafficking, and that we must continue our cooperative fight against the illicit drug market. ¶5. (SBU) The Narcotics Affairs Section at the Embassy funded the design and construction of the new facility, which includes a 300 meter access road, dormitories for 100 officers, kennels and exercise facilities for 14 canines, vehicle inspection areas, offices and investigation areas, a gym, and eight jail cells. Construction costs totaled $1.9 million and furnishings cost an additional $120k. The project took 18 months from beginning design to finish. ¶6. (SBU) In addition to Minister Larrea, the inauguration ceremony was attended by Ecuadorian National Police Commanding General Bolivar Cisneros, Director of the Police National Narcotics Directorship COL Marco Rivadeneira, Governor of Carchi province Efrain Benavides Tapia, Carchi Prefect (elected leader) Rene Yandun Poso, and Tulcan Mayor Pedro Velasco Erazo. ¶7. (U) Press coverage of the visit was cautiously positive in the written press, but much more positive on television, and received considerable national attention. National television coverage was quite broad; all but one national network broadcast the story, and networks emphasized the capabilities of the new facility and demand reduction. All the networks included Larrea's remarks and most included Ambassador Jewell's comments on USG investments in the region. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: The attendance of both national and local government officials, as well as the comments by Minister Larrea, demonstrate the GOE's commitment to counter-narcotics and bilateral cooperation, as well as Ecuadorian concern about illicit activity along the northern border. Larrea, previously considered a doctrinaire leftist and someone who might be hostile to the USG in office, has been surprisingly pleasant and quickly responsive to a number of USG requests, much in the way he supported and participated in this inauguration. END COMMENT. JEWELL