GOE REMAINS ON ATTACK AGAINST EMBASSY

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000112

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: TWENTY YEARS
TAGS: PREL SNAR PTER KCRM EC
SUBJECT: GOE REMAINS ON ATTACK AGAINST EMBASSY

REF: A. QUITO 109

B. QUITO 103

C. QUITO 100

Classified By: Ambassado...


id: 192204
date: 2/13/2009 22:54
refid: 09QUITO112
origin: Embassy Quito
classification: CONFIDENTIAL
destination: 09QUITO100|09QUITO103|09QUITO109
header:
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0024
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 7959
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 4081
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 0799
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 3382
RUEHGT/AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA 1046
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ FEB LIMA 3025
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 1822
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0649
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 0971
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 3094
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 0223
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 4092
RHEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHDC


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C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000112

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: TWENTY YEARS
TAGS: PREL SNAR PTER KCRM EC
SUBJECT: GOE REMAINS ON ATTACK AGAINST EMBASSY

REF: A. QUITO 109

B. QUITO 103

C. QUITO 100

Classified By: Ambassador Heather M. Hodges for Reasons 1.4 (b&d)


1. (C) Summary: Both President Correa and Minister Carvajal
condemned the Embassy's actions with regard to vetted units
publicly throughout the week of February 9. The Department's
February 9 statement that the USG would work through
diplomatic channels to address Correa's concerns and
Carvajal's statement to the Ambassador that the GOE would
look for a way to continue cooperation (Ref A) did not stop
the stream of hostile public rhetoric. In an attempt to
portray the Embassy as out of synch with Washington, the
Ecuadorian Presidency website released Ecuadorian Ambassador
Gallegos' internal reports on a congressional call and a
DHS/ICE official's comments. End Summary

BASHING THE USG


2. (C) The litany of hostile GOE rhetoric during the week of
February 9 targeted Embassy support for two units, the Center
for Anti-Contraband Operations (COAC) and the Special
Investigations Unit (UIES):

-- President Rafael Correa warned police that the GOE was
investigating the "robbery" of equipment and information by
U.S. Embassy personnel (referring to the USG-owned equipment
that was returned to the Embassy). He said this included
investigating the individual police officers who permitted
this to take place. He made these comments February 9 while
opening a Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Guayaquil.
Correa stressed that the police officers needed to remember
that they work for Ecuador, not the U.S.

-- Coordinating Minister for Internal and External Security
Miguel Carvajal said February 10 that the DHS Attache not
only cut off cooperation with the police, but also took
Ecuadorian security information with him when he departed the
country. He called this a threat to Ecuador's national
security, saying this was security information of the
Ecuadorian state based on years of investigative work.

-- During the ceremony where new Minister of Government and
Police Gustavo Jalkh assumed his position on February 11,
Correa instructed Jalkh to determine which police officers
took this action (returning equipment and data to the U.S.
Embassy),saying he wanted them immediately separated from
the institution. Correa reportedly said, "There are enemies
embedded from within who were trying to torpedo this change
(that his government is undertaking) to boycott and
destabilize the government. They became used to living on
the charity of the powerful." Jalkh called the police
actions "treason" against government institutions.

-- Minister Carvajal told the press on February 11 that the
GOE was investigating the current leadership of the
U.S.-supported UIES (even though the UIES leadership the USG
had worked with had already been transferred),who he claimed
were responsible for returning the equipment to the U.S.
Embassy. He said the GOE would do a technical investigation
of the computers (which the Embassy returned to UIES on
February 9) to determine if all of the information had been
returned. "We hope the information has not been
manipulated," he stressed. Carvajal said the GOE would
review all of the police's international agreements.


3. (SBU) In a more positive tone during a February 13
interview, Minister Carvajal said, "It is in our interest to
maintain cooperation in all areas, including security and
intelligence, with everyone, including the U.S., but
cooperation that is clear and respectful, observing our
different perspectives, and with the knowledge and
authorization of the political authorities of the government."

PRESIDENCY ARTICLE SEEKS TO SPLIT USG


4. (SBU) The afternoon of February 12, the top article on
the Ecuadorian Presidency website reported on a conversation
that Ecuadorian Ambassador to Washington Luis Gallegos had
with a U.S. Member of Congress. It claimed that the Member
of Congress agreed with Correa's critique of Embassy actions
and considered them inconsistent with Obama Administration
policy. The attachment to the article, which contained what
appeared to be the text of the Ecuadorian Embassy's reports,
stated that a Department of Homeland Security/Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (DHS/ICE) official had apologized to
Gallegos and that the agency did not authorize the DHS/ICE
Attache's January 8 letter.


5. (C) Post understands that these reports are not entirely
accurate renditions of those conversations. The article's
intent was clear: to support the GOE's position and to
suggest that the Embassy is free-lancing rather than acting
on Washington's instructions. By mid-morning on February 13,
the article had been removed from a prominent location on the
Presidency website, although it could still be found by
searching.

COMMENT


6. (C) A local radio commentator and several of our contacts
have suggested that the GOE is beating the drum on our vetted
units to boost support for Correa and other Proud and
Sovereign Fatherland (PAIS) candidates in the April 26
elections. Along those same lines, a Latin American diplomat
described Correa's comments as playing David to the U.S.
Goliath, saying Ecuadorians, like other Latin Americans,
always sympathize with the underdog. We remain convinced,
however, that while electoral considerations may play a part,
Correa is primarily motivated by a desire to distract
attention from the unfolding scandal over his government's
ties to FARC narco-traffickers (Ref B). We would not be
surprised if Correa continues his attack during his
radio/television address tomorrow (February 14).

HODGES

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