US embassy cable - 05QUITO280

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Identifier:	05QUITO280
Wikileaks:	View 05QUITO280 at Wikileaks.org
Origin:	Embassy Quito
Created:	2005-02-04 13:45:00
Classification:	UNCLASSIFIED
Tags:	AORC PREL EC ES
Redacted:	This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.

UNCLAS QUITO 000280 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AORC, PREL, EC, ES 
SUBJECT: ECUADOR FAVORING CHILEAN FOR OAS SYG 
 
REF: A. SECSTATE 18697 
 
     B. QUITO 121 
 
1. In response to Ref A, Ambassador discussed the upcoming 
OAS Secretary General election during her February 3 meeting 
with Ecuador President Lucio Gutierrez.  Gutierrez mentioned 
that former El Salvador President Paco Flores, whom the 
United States backed for the OAS position, would soon visit 
Ecuador.  He shared the Ambassador's favorable opinion of the 
Central American leader. 
 
2.  Ecuador's vote was in demand, Gutierrez claimed.  In 
recent weeks he had received calls from Mexican President 
Vicente Fox, Salvadoran President Elias Saca and Chilean 
President Ricardo Lagos, seeking support for respective 
candidates (Ref B).  Gutierrez had heard rumors that Flores 
was not Central America's consensus candidate, further 
complicating the election.  Ecuador was leaning toward 
throwing its ballot Chile's way, however, in support of South 
American solidarity.  Believing a contested OAS election 
counterproductive to hemispheric interests, Gutierrez hoped 
OAS nations could reach consensus before the vote. 
 
3.  COMMENT:  Affinity for Chile and desires to foment that 
bilateral relationship, not support for South American unity, 
underpin Ecuador's likely decision to back its southern 
neighbor. 
Kenney