US embassy cable - 05GUAYAQUIL424

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 GUAYAQUIL 000424 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, ASEC, PREL, EC 
SUBJECT: EX-PRESIDENT BUCARAMS HOMECOMING CELEBRATION 
 
REF: A. QUITO 729; B. GUAYAQUIL 132 
 
1.  (U) Summary: Former president Abdala Bucaram, of the 
Ecuadorian Roldosista Party (PRE), made a flamboyant, 
celebratory return to Guayaquil on April 2.  After eight 
years of self-imposed exile in Panama, he arrived in the 
city center by helicopter, accompanied by men on 
horseback, and with fireworks exploding in the air. 
Joined on stage with his family, fellow PRE party 
leaders  including president of congress Omar Quintana 
- Bucaram celebrated his homecoming with an impassioned 
speech to thousands of supporters.  Though short on 
content and substance, his populist ranting was notable 
e 
for his professed admiration for Hugo Chavez' 
"Bolivarian revolution," and opposition to the 
imposition of foreign military bases and free trade 
agreements.  End summary. 
 
---------------- 
A HEROS WELCOME 
---------------- 
 
2.  (U) Less than 48 hours after he was cleared of all 
pending corruption charges (Ref A) by the Supreme Court 
president, Guillermo Castro, Bucarams cohorts 
orchestrated an emotional arrival in Guayaquil.  A 
visible lack of security forces, street closures, 
intermittent rain, and a delayed start of almost two 
hours did not prevent approximately 20,000 Bucaram 
admirers from thronging a nine-block area of downtown 
Guayaquil.  Newspaper reports quoted PRE party leaders 
as having chartered buses to bring in followers from as 
far away as Esmeraldas and Cuenca.  Guayaquil PolOff 
observed thousands of young men pouring out of all modes 
of transportation and making their way towards the stage 
erected on the edge of a city park, waving flags 
s 
displaying the PRE colors red and yellow.  Many were 
drinking alcohol from bottles passed among them, and 
even more appeared to be barely old enough to remember 
Bucarams departure.  Adding to the festive atmosphere 
were four musical groups positioned along the eventual 
parade route.  The banner providing the stages backdrop 
had a large photo of Bucaram in his presidential sash 
and read "Only God knows how we have suffered in your 
absence." 
 
3.  (U) Bucaram arrived in Ecuador in the early hours of 
April 2.  However, he avoided all press and made no 
public appearances, retreating to an undisclosed 
location to prepare for his grand public entrance.  The 
PRE widely announced the location and timing of the 
homecoming commemoration, and their announcement that 
Bucaram would arrive by helicopter heightened the 
theatrical quality.   By the time he began to transverse 
the nine blocks from his rooftop landing to the stage, 
the frenzied crowd impeded his progress as they 
y 
attempted to get as close as possible to their hero. 
Many tried to rush the stage once he finally got there, 
and the lack of security meant that more than one 
succeeded. 
 
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POPULIST RHETORIC PERVADES ADDRESS 
---------------------------------- 
 
4.  (U) Bucaram began by thanking his family and PRE 
party members for working so hard for his return.  He 
singled out congressional president Omar Quintana, who 
stood next to him, though Quintana appeared visibly 
uncomfortable and left the stage before the speech 
concluded.  Bucaram also expressed  his appreciation for 
Supreme Court president Guillermo Castro and President 
Gutierrez, praising their courage in dropping the 
charges against him.  Finally, he expressed his most 
heartfelt thanks to "the beautiful poor of Ecuador," 
gesturing to the crowd in front of him and declaring his 
commitment to fight on their behalf.  The multitudes 
responded enthusiastically. 
 
5.  (U) At times using vulgar language, Bucaram 
lambasted Leon Febres-Corderos Social Christian Party 
(PSC) in particular, and all groups that opposed him in 
general.  He emphasized that he had returned to Ecuador 
wiser, more mature, and more patient, but "crazier than 
ever to rid the country of the political oligarchy" that 
was responsible for the poors continued suffering. 
Lamenting the setbacks the country endured during his 
absence, including the loss of the sucre (Ecuadors 
currency before dollarization in 2000), he ridiculed 
Guayaquil mayor Jaime Nebots (PSC) 'Marcha Blanca' (Ref 
B) as nothing more than a parade of the elites.  Bucaram 
also had harsh words for PRIAN (Partido Renovador 
Institucional Accion Nacional) founder and leader Alvaro 
Noboa, whom he claimed "must be crying" now that Bucaram 
is back in Ecuador. 
 
6.  (U) Populist rhetoric infused Bucarams address. 
Most prominent were his references to embarking on a 
Chavez-modeled Bolivarian revolution to wrest power from 
the privileged and embolden the poor.  In a an oblique 
ique 
reference to US interests, Bucaram said he would now 
spend time analyzing the current state of affairs in 
Ecuador before putting forth a plan to rid the country 
of the "impositions of foreign military bases, and trade 
agreements," among other issues. 
---------------------- 
NOT QUITE CENTER STAGE 
---------------------- 
 
7.  (U) Reports of the death of Pope John Paul II 
somewhat eclipsed Bucarams return.  National media 
focused on events at the Vatican until right up to the 
moment of Bucarams rally.  Similarly, the next days 
front-page news featured full spreads of the pope, with 
Bucaram stories buried in the middle of all major 
papers.  For his part, Bucaram expressed his personal 
sadness over the Pope's passing, and claimed that the 
pope waited to die until he (Bucaram) had been able to 
come home.  Bucaram also had to  share media attention 
with returned leaders Gustavo Noboa and Alberto Dahik 
(Ref A), who returned from exile to Ecuador this 
weekend. 
 
. 
 
8.  (U) Apparently anticipating Bucarams criticism, 
PRIAN leader and 2006 presidential candidate Alvaro 
Noboa began his counterattack on the PRE with a paid 
political announcement that aired immediately following 
coverage of Bucarams rally.  Noboa used the five-minute 
spot to expand on his efforts to help the poor in 
Ecuador and his plans to bring the country out of 
poverty once elected president. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
9.  (U) Abdala Bucarams theatrical return to Ecuador 
offered a glimpse of what we can expect from this 
populist rabble-rouser should he choose to stay in 
Ecuador.  It is not clear if his image among the mostly- 
poor coastal Ecuadorians, who comprise his political 
base, has been tarnished by his years in exile.  Despite 
his professed solidarity with the poor, he spent eight 
years not working while living in a luxurious apartment 
in Panama, chartered a private plane for his return, 
and maintains a lavish house in a wealthy Guayaquil 
il 
neighborhood.  His welcome in Guayaquil was not 
impressively large despite party efforts to bus in 
supporters. 
 
10.  (SBU) To what extent Bucaram can promote Chavez- 
style Bolivarian populism here remains to be seen. 
Even his most ardent foes acknowledge his political 
skills and ability to motivate the disaffected masses 
with his populist message.  However, Bucaram's political 
base has been weakened by his long absence and his 
presence back on the political scene here will energize 
both his own Ecuadorian Roldosista Party (PRE) and its 
rivals (especially Noboa's PRIAN, which has absorbed 
much of the PRE's base during Bucaram's absence). 
Bucaram has professed appreciation to Gutierrez and 
willingness to defend Gutierrez' tenure should it be 
threatened.  Unfortunately for Gutierrez, Bucaram's 
return makes that threat all the more real. 
 
11.  This cable was cleared by Embassy Quito. 
 
HERBERT 
 
 
 
 
 
UNCLASSIFIED2 
 
SIPDIS 
         UNCLASSIFIED 
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