US embassy cable - 05QUITO805

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000805 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, ASEC, EC 
SUBJECT: ECUADOR: STRIKE FIZZLES, BACK TO DIALOGUE 
 
REF: QUITO 795 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney.  Reason 1.4 (b&d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Strike activities organized by municipal 
and provincial leaders in the capital took place generally 
peacefully on April 13, but did not close the city as 
intended.  Protests attracted far fewer participants than an 
earlier, February 16 protest march.  Strike organizers 
claimed victory nonetheless.  Authorities acted with 
restraint, selectively using tear gas to dislodge some 
protesters.  The Ambassador called President Gutierrez to 
urge him to renew his call for peaceful political dialogue; 
Gutierrez said he intended to do so.  We expect Quito to 
return to normal overnight, but further protests are possible 
on April 14, as Congress returns to debate competing 
proposals to resolve the Supreme court controversy.  End 
Summary. 
 
Strike Impact Less Than Expected 
-------------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) In the capital, strike organizers dispersed early 
to strategic locations throughout the city to protest and 
block traffic by burning tires.  The choke points were 
selected to block transit into and leaving the city; most 
roads remained open to internal traffic, except for the 
colonial city center.  Police cordoned off the central square 
in front of the presidential palace, which stayed largely 
empty throughout the day.  Because organizers did not plan a 
march, the number of protesters in one place rarely exceeded 
6-7,000.  Police used teargas to disperse protesters at 
several downtown locations throughout the strike day, 
reducing the numbers of protesters in any one location.  The 
promised presence of indigenous protesters did not 
materialize--the bulk of protesters appeared to be 
college-aged students. 
 
3.  (SBU) Most police deployed without weapons except tear 
gas and batons, minimizing the possibility for tragedy.  No 
violent incidents or injuries were reported.   Most capital 
residents chose to take the day off and shop or visit city 
parks for recreation.  Traffic was about half the normal 
during rush hour, and banks, shopping malls, and other 
businesses opened normally.  A feared water shortage did not 
occur, after the government convinced an Amazonian mayor to 
keep the supply valves open.  Electricity and other services 
were not interrupted. 
 
4.  (SBU) Elsewhere, most of the country was indifferent to 
the Quito protests.  In just four other highland 
provinces--Imbabura, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi and Azuay--parallel 
protests, involving highway blockages, reportedly took place. 
 More extensive blockages and demonstrations occurred in 
Azuay's provincial capital of Cuenca.  As in Quito, no 
violent incidents or injuries were reported. 
 
Back to Dialogue 
---------------- 
 
5.  (C) The Ambassador called President Gutierrez as the 
strike actions were dissipating, to praise GOE restraint and 
commitment to free expression, and urge conciliation.  No one 
wins a strike, she said, what is important is what comes 
next.  Now would be an opportune moment to renew his call for 
political dialogue.  Gutierrez said he agreed completely, and 
that by reporting to work most Quito residents had 
demonstrated their interest in seeing Ecuador overcome its 
challenges and move forward.   He hoped to do by promoting 
new legislation in Congress to resolve the festering Supreme 
Court issue.  Minister of Government Ayerve struck a similar 
note of conciliation, saying he would focus his televised 
address later that evening on the president's legislative 
proposal. 
 
6.  (C) Other government officials were less conciliatory, 
with Vice Minister of Government Edison Carrera telling us 
the strike was a "total failure," as measured by the 
dispersion and low turnout of the protesters.  Most 
protesters, he claimed, were paid employees of the Pichincha 
provincial council or the Quito municipal council. 
 
What's Next? 
------------ 
 
7.  (C) With the strike apparently coming to a close, we 
expect attention to shift back toward Congress, where 
competing proposals to resolve the Supreme Court issue will 
be debated.  Further opposition protest marches are likely, 
to keep the pressure on Congress to act.  The two legislative 
proposals differ on when the current court would be 
terminated, and how the new court would be selected.  The 
opposition proposal, which failed by a one-vote margin on 
April 12, would terminate the current court immediately on 
passage, prior to the selection of a new court.  The 
government's proposal, which must pass through committee to 
the plenary for two debates before a final vote, would 
terminate the current court only after the new court is 
selected.  At this point, neither side has the 51 votes 
needed to pass reform legislation. 
 
8.  (C) The April 12 congressional vote against the 
opposition proposal reunited the government with its earlier 
alliance partners, including ex-president Abdala Bucaram's 
PRE and banana-magnate Alvaro Noboa's PRIAN, neither of which 
supports changes to the current Supreme Court.  The 
government's proposal is therefore unlikely to pass without a 
new effort to woo support from the opposition. 
KENNEY