US embassy cable - 04QUITO2655

UNCLAS QUITO 002655 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
PLEASE PASS TO USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, AORC, PREL, PGOV, EC 
SUBJECT: ECUADORIAN VFM ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND ALADI 
 
 
1.  (SBU) Summary: Perhaps to signal his willingness to act 
as a U.S. ally in his new position on the UN Human Rights 
Commission, FM Edwin Johnson expressed concern to DCM about 
Venezuelan and Cuban diplomatic activities in Ecuador and the 
politicization of the Latin American Integration Association 
(ALADI).  End Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) On September 30, DCM met with Johnson, who was 
recently elected to the UN Human Rights Commission.  Johnson 
was very grateful for USG support for his UNHRC candidacy and 
said he looked forward to working with the U.S. delegation. 
 
3.  (SBU) Johnson said he had once been a supporter of the 
NAM in the 1970s but is now more cynical about the motives of 
ideologically-based groups.  He said he and FM Zuquilanda had 
called in the Cuban and Venezuelan ambassadors to protest 
support for local Bolivarian movements and anti-globalization 
groups.  (Press reported the creation of the Bolivarian 
Republican Movement of Ecuador on September 2.)  The GoE 
perceives these groups as anti-government and any outside 
support as meddling in Ecuador's domestic affairs.  The Cuban 
ambassador denied any GoC support to local groups, according 
to Johnson. 
 
4.  (SBU) Johnson also expressed concern that ALADI had 
become increasingly distracted from its mission of economic 
integration by the efforts of members nations, including 
Venezuela, Cuba and others, to insert political issues to its 
agenda.  Separately the same day, MFA Acting U/S for 
Multilateral Affairs Julio Prado raised the same issue with 
PolCouns.  He suggested the USG to weigh in with the 
Uruguayan government on the upcoming October 18 ALADI Foreign 
Minister's meeting in Montevideo, to discourage discussions 
of political issues better left to other venues such as the 
OAS.  Prado said the topics currently being proposed include: 
terrorism/arms (Venezuela and Cuba), foreign debt 
(Argentina), Malavinas/Falklands (Argentina), 
counter-narcotics (Colombia). 
 
5.  (SBU) Comment:  The GoE's pique over Cuba and Venezuelan 
meddling in Ecuador's domestic politics might make Johnson 
more of an ally in the UNHRC than we might have expected. 
KENNEY