US embassy cable - 04QUITO2550

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 002550 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS TO USAID 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, EC, ECON, EFIS, ETRD, PGOV, PREL, SENV, Environment 
SUBJECT: GALAPAGOS NATIONAL PARK WORKERS CONTINUE TO STRIKE 
 
REF: QUITO 002502 
 
1.  (U) Summary.  On September 10, the Minister of the 
Environment (MOE) replaced the Galapagos National Park (GNP) 
Director.  In protest, the employees of the GNP went on 
strike.  The strike began peacefully and the strikers 
initially promised not to interrupt tourist operations if 
their demands were met.  The MOE offered to address the wage 
concerns of the employees (putting up $700,000 as a show of 
good faith) but has shown no willingness to budge on the 
strikers' demand for reinstatement of the previous GNP 
Director.  The MOE offered to meet with strike leaders in 
Quito, but the strikers have rejected this offer, demanding 
that the MOE should come to the Galapagos.  Strikers have now 
closed tourist visitor's centers on the islands.  An 
international monitoring group is also calling for an 
international boycott on tourism to the Galapagos.  President 
Gutierrez told the Ambassador on September 20 that he plans 
to appoint a new Undersecretary of the Environment for the 
Galapagos.  End Summary. 
 
The State of the Strike 
----------------------- 
 
2.  (U) When the existing GNP Director was replaced on 
September 10, the roughly 300 employees of the GNP went on 
strike (Reftel), denouncing the instability created by the 
constant turnover of directors, demanding reinstatement of 
the previous director, and including some minor personnel 
issues in their list of demands.  Some 225 of the 300 workers 
are currently employed without a contract and many have not 
been paid for over a month. 
 
3.  (U) The strike began peacefully, but the strikers have 
threatened to use more radical methods if their demands were 
not met.  On September 15, they issued a bulletin stating 
that they would close all the tourist visitor's centers 
effective immediately, including the beloved 
tortoise-breeding park center.  The strikers' bulletin also 
states that if the MOE continues to ignore their demands, 
they will cease collecting park entrance fees ($100 for 
non-residents and $6 for residents) and suspend control and 
monitoring of the Galapagos Marine Reserve. 
 
4.  (U) The MOE announced on September 19 that $700,000 is 
available to satisfy some of the wage concerns of the GNP 
employees.  It is unclear if this amount will be sufficient 
to pay for all the contract employees.  However, the MOE 
adamantly refuses to go to the Galapagos to meet with 
strikers to discuss the strikers' demands about stability and 
reinstatement.  The MOE made it clear at a United Nations 
Development Programme meeting on September 17 that "legal and 
institutional sovereignty" are primary concerns with respect 
to the Galapagos.  The MOE also stated on September 19 that 
he will impose legal sanctions and other measures against the 
strikers.  There was no indication what these sanctions would 
be or when he would impose them. 
 
Call for Boycott on Tourism 
--------------------------- 
 
5.  (U) The Sea Shepherd Society, an international monitoring 
group, has called for an international boycott on tourism to 
the Galapagos.  The goal is to pressure President Gutierrez 
and the MOE to resolve this issue and stabilize GNP 
leadership. 
 
New GNP Director on the Job, Without Staff 
------------------------------------------ 
 
6.  (U) The new GNP Director is attempting to install himself 
in his office.  Reportedly, he went to the GNP Director's 
main office in Santa Cruz but was turned away by the 
strikers.  He then went to the GNP offices in San Cristobal, 
accompanied by the Governor, police and navy troops, and 
installed himself in that office.  The office in San 
Cristobal is considerably smaller than the main office in 
Santa Cruz (about 30 employees).  Despite being physically 
present in the office, he apparently has no supervisory 
control and is unable to execute his duties and 
responsibilities. 
 
Ambassador Meets with Gutierrez 
------------------------------- 
 
7.  (U) The Ambassador met with President Gutierrez on 
September 20 to discuss the Galapagos problem.  Gutierrez 
said he was cancelling his attendance at the UNGA to resolve 
outstanding crises, including the Galapagos.  Gutierrez said 
he might create a undersecretary position in the Ministry of 
the Environment to  oversee the archipelago. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
8.  (SBU) The MOE's $700,000 wage offer will help, but the 
problem of park management stability and politicization of 
the park directorship will be harder to resolve.  A member of 
the Guayaquil conservation sector said that strike leaders 
are trying to send a letter to U.N. Secretary Kofi Anan 
through back channels in order to embarass Ecuador's 
representative at the 59th UNGA this week.  We know Gutierrez 
will not attend the UNGA.  It is difficult to see how the 
appointment of a new undersecretary would stabilize or 
depoliticize the park directorship. 
 
KENNEY