Ambassador's Meeting with Minister of Culture

UNCLAS QUITO 000382

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PINR PGOV EC
SUBJECT: Ambassador's Meeting with Minister of Culture


1. Summary. The Ambassador met with Minister of Culture Antonio
Preciado on February 15. Preciado began the meeting by saying that
he admires the American people, and sees many points in common
between the U.S. and Ecuador that he hopes can be highlighted
through joint programs between the Embassy and his Ministry. He
noted that the Ministry of Culture was created only one month ago by
President Correa, and that he is facing the administrative
challenges of creating a budget and finding a permanent building to
house Ministry offices.

Joint Programs with the Mission
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2. The Ambassador stated that she hopes the Embassy can work
together with the Ministry of Culture, and outlined a number of the
Mission's cultural and exchange programs for Preciado, including
jazz performances and a jazz student exchange program, a Black
History Month exhibit at the Quito City Museum, an English micro
scholarship program for disadvantaged youth in Guayaquil, the Youth
Ambassadors exchange program, and the Fulbright program.


3. Preciado responded enthusiastically to each of these programs,
saying that he intends to open Ministry offices in each of Ecuador's
provincial capitals so that the people could participate more
actively in cultural activities, and that he would like the Mission
to think about taking its programs to the provinces to reach new
audiences. The Ambassador responded by explaining that the Youth
Ambassador program is recruiting candidates from all over Ecuador,
and that the Mission will consider holding performances of American
bluegrass and jazz in provincial cities through the Ministry's
auspices.


4. Bio Notes
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Preciado is Ecuador's first government minister of Afro-Ecuadorian
descent and a native of Esmeraldas, home to the country's largest
concentration of afro descendents. Before becoming minister he was
a published poet, university rector and Ecuador's cultural
ambassador to UNESCO (2003-4). His poetry brought him to the U.S.,
where he met Maya Angelou, and he said that his poems are taught at
the Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, Howard University and
Florida International University, and are being translated into
English for a soon-to-be-published anthology of Ecuadorian poets.



5. Comment: Preciado was genuinely cordial and warm in his meeting
with the Ambassador, saying that there was much Ecuador could learn
from the U.S. and that he pledged his ministry to creating a
fruitful exchange of ideas and people with America. Through PAS,
the Mission will work with the Ministry on a number of cultural and
exchange programs that can increase mutual understanding and further
our transformational diplomacy and outreach goals.

JEWELL