US embassy cable - 05QUITO848

UNCLAS QUITO 000848 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR INR/R/MR, WHA, WHA/AND, WHA/PDA 
DIRONDCP FOR PA 
EMBASSIES FOR PAO/IO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, OPRC, KIRC, KPAO, EC 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: ECUADOR UNREST 
 
1.  "Go Home!" an opinion column (04/18) by Diego 
Araujo Sanchez in Quito's center-left "Hoy" (circ. 
38,500) 
 
Quote:  "The straw that broke the camel's back was 
the return of [ex-president] Abdala Bucaram; the 
capital has not forgotten his scandalous corruption 
nor the offensive shamelessness of his short tenure. 
The President made the worst mistake of his live 
conspiring with Bucuram [for his return] and placing 
himself in his and Alvaro Noboa's [PRIAN party 
leader] hands.  When government-aligned congressmen 
assaulted the Supreme Court of Justice and the 
Constitutional Tribunal and parceled out the 
Electoral Tribunals, they all yelled victory, but it 
was just a short-lived and useless triumph. 
Gutirrez, who arrived in Carondelet with the promise 
of fighting against corruption, and who has 
repeatedly stated he fights against oligarchies, took 
off his mask and showed his hypocrisy by favoring the 
impunity of a former president charged with 
corruption and forging an alliance with him." 
 
 
2.  "Trampling on Democracy" an opinion column 
(04/18) by Grace Jaramillo in Quito's leading 
centrist "El Comercio" (circ. 70,000) 
 
Quote:  "Requiem.  Democracy ceased to exist 
officially on Friday at 9:31 PM when the President 
died attempting to respect the Constitution and make 
everyone else respect it.  Since that day, the leader 
has a new presidential sash that reads, `I am the 
state." Under this premise he assumed the functions 
that correspond only to the National Congress.. 
 
"Quito has become an [expression of community 
sentiment], where neither the parties nor the 
political movements were able to channel the 
citizens' will and now the only demand is the ousting 
of Lucio Gutierrez and with him the whole political 
class.  How much longer will the regime endure 
internal and international pressure? 
 
3.  "Gutierrez, End To So Much Deceit," an opinion 
column (04/18) by Miguel Rivadeneira in Quito's 
leading centrist "El Comercio" (circ. 70,000) 
 
Quote:   The people from Quito are fed up and are 
putting an end to so much deceit and lies from Col. 
Gutierrez. 
 
"The popular uprising, without political leaders, is 
starting to spread throughout the country because we 
cannot stand any more what the Colonel, his family, 
friends, and those who enjoy power have done. 
 
"The issue is not only the elimination of the 
unconstitutional Court, but the ousting of the 
Colonel who supported it as well." 
 
KENNEY