US embassy cable - 05QUITO840

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000840 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, ASEC, EC 
SUBJECT: ECUADOR STATE OF EMERGENCY:  SITREP 2, 1300 HRS 
APRIL 16 
 
REF: A. QUITO 839 
 
     B. QUITO 838 
     C. QUITO 836 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  Demonstrations in Quito petered out early 
April 16.  As of 0900, the city was calm, but police contacts 
report likely large gatherings commencing shortly after 
nightfall.  The Ambassador reconvened the Country Team at 
1000 hrs to discuss the situation on the streets, the safety 
and health of resident AmCits, and Embassy/USG next steps. 
Broadly, we will continue wide-spectrum outreach to 
pro-government and opposition forces alike, issue messages to 
the American community to exercise caution in movements, and 
seek media opportunities to publicize our messages of dialog 
and restraint.  Congress will attempt to reconvene to debate 
rescinding the presidential emergency decree.  End Summary. 
 
Street SitRep 
------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) Large-scale, ad hoc demonstrations in Quito 
continued into the early hours of April 16; by all reports, 
they were boisterous but non-violent.  By 0330, they had 
disappeared, and at 0900 hrs, the city was calm, with normal 
levels of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.  Despite the 
emergency decree's mobilization of the armed forces, soldiers 
were difficult to spot on the streets.  Public schools 
opened, as did businesses.  Quito Airport is operating 
normally.  Embassy RSO contacts report that street gatherings 
likely will recommence at 1200 and 2000 hrs, spurred on by 
opposition leaders like Quito Mayor Paco Moncayo. 
 
Protecting Our People 
--------------------- 
 
3.  (SBU) The Ambassador reconvened the Country Team at 1000 
hrs.  Topping the agenda was a discussion of the safety of 
the entire AmCit community, official and not.  Consular 
Section staffers were putting finishing touches on warden 
message for immediate distribution; it warned of continuing 
mass protests in the capital area and urged Americans to 
exercise caution and good judgment in their movements. 
 
4.  (SBU) RSO offered other instructions for Mission 
employees and their families.  They included: 
 
-- Testing their Embassy-supplied radios; 
-- Ensuring adequate stocks of essential supplies:  food, 
water, batteries, candles, etc.; 
-- Requesting a 2000 hrs curfew until further notice 
-- Urging agency/section heads to repeal country clearances 
granted for April 17-22. 
 
In addition, Peace Corps Quito has instructed PCVs to remain 
at their posts and not travel to Quito except in emergencies. 
 
Opposition, Government Responses 
-------------------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU) Embassy staff hit the phones upon arrival. 
Congressional contacts claimed the opposition was not lying 
down.  PSC deputy Luis Fernando Torres called the emergency 
decree a "brilliant" tactical move, and was returning to 
Quito to plot next steps.  He was unsure if Congress could 
reconvene earlier than next Wednesday, however, owing to the 
normal weekend recess and the April 18-19 visit of Chilean 
President Ricardo Lagos (which we have since heard has been 
cancelled).  ID legislator Andres Paez was more optimistic, 
claiming his party already was organizing an impromptu 
Saturday session (a well-connected NGO contact confirmed 
Paez's account, as did PRIAN deputy Carlos Vallejo).  PSC 
congressman Marcelo Dotti claimed 54-56 deputies would gather 
at 1700 hrs to rescind the president's emergency decree as 
well as the December 9 resolution that overhauled the Supreme 
Court. 
 
6.  (C) Milgroup and DAO commanders called on Ecuadorian 
Joint Forces chief Admiral Victor Rosero at 1100 hrs, 
preaching armed forces restraint and non-interference in 
civilian politics.  They remain at Joint Forces HQ, and have 
been invited to participate in operational planning and 
briefs.  Earlier, they telephoned commanders of operational 
brigades close to Quito.  Those officers, solidly behind 
their commander-in-chief, pledged to maintain peace and 
constitutional order, thus offering Ecuador's politicians 
further chances to resolve the current crisis.  Rosero later 
dismissed as disinformation recent rumors claiming that 
Gutierrez had sacked Army Commander Luis Aguas for being 
"insufficiently zealous in support of the state of emergency" 
and replaced him with confidant General Cesar Ubillus. 
 
7.  (SBU) ECON staff reached out to the GoE's prime economic 
players:  Finance Minister Mauricio Yepez, who is currently 
in the United States; Commerce Minister Ivonne Baki, en route 
to Europe, and Labor Minister Raul Izurrieta.  All agreed 
with the Embassy's message of restraint and dialogue, and 
promised to voice their concerns at today,s Cabinet meeting. 
 
8.  (SBU) Indigenous contacts tell us that leaders from all 
Ecuador's provinces are meeting today to discuss next steps. 
No mass mobilizations are yet planned, however, and the 
earliest they allegedly could occur was April 19. 
 
9.  (C) After speaking with Presidential Secretary Carlos 
Polit at 1040, the Ambassador telephoned Gutierrez.  She 
noted the air of calm and praised the security forces' 
reasonable posture.  The brief respite in protests provided 
Gutierrez an excellent opportunity for dialog, she 
emphasized.  The president seemed to believe the quiet 
streets were purely the product of his decision to vacate the 
court, and initially pushed back.  He took note of our 
concerns, however, claimed to have already spoken to Moncayo, 
and was considering lifting the state of emergency by late 
April 16. 
 
Embassy Next Steps 
------------------ 
 
10.  (C) Attempting to cool temperatures and bring opposition 
and GoE to the table, the Embassy April 16 intends to carry 
out the following: 
 
-- Ambassador contacting Defense Minister Nelson Herrera, 
Foreign Minister Patricio Zuquilanda, Yepez, and Moncayo; 
-- POL canvassing Congressional bloc leaders, pushing dialog 
and a constitutional, peaceful solution to the Court and 
broader political crisis; 
-- Regional Affairs, RSO maintaining close contacts with 
armed forces, police; 
-- Guayaquil Consul General calling coastal political 
players, urging they not seek advantage from the current 
chaos in Quito; 
-- USAID reaching out to NGO contacts; 
-- ECON continuing to lobby the GoE economic team, the 
Cabinet's most rational, effective force; 
 
11.  (C) Stateside, USG officials have echoed our points in 
calls to the Ecuadorian Embassy and visiting GoE officials. 
Two key April 16 telcons are imminent:  A/S Noriega to 
Gutierrez, and Southcom Commander General Bantz Craddock to 
Rosero.  The Mission has provided talking points. 
KENNEY