US embassy cable - 05QUITO911

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000911 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, EC 
SUBJECT: BIO INFO FOR NEW GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS: PART 2 
 
REF: QUITO 886 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reason 1.4 (b&d) 
 
1.  (U) Summary:  On April 25, President Palacio named 
Minister of Education Consuelo Yanez Cossio, Minister of 
Tourism Maria Isabel Crespo, Minister of Sports Omar 
Cevallos, Minister of Health Wellington Sandoval and 
Presidential Communication Secretary Carlos Cortez.  Elsa de 
Mena will return to the Internal Revenue Service (SRI) as its 
director.  Rene Bucaram has been named the President's 
delegate to the state oil company, Petroecuador.  Below is 
biographical information for the following new Cabinet 
members and government officials:  Minister of Defense Anibal 
Solon Espinosa, Minister of Finance Rafael Correa, Minister 
of Trade Oswaldo Molestina Davila, and Governor of Guayas 
province Guido Chiriboga.  More information on recently-named 
government officials to follow septel.  End Summary. 
 
Minister of Defense General Anibal Solon Espinosa 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
2.  (U) General Anibal Solon Espinosa Ayala, the new Minister 
of Defense, is a 76 year-old native of Quito, and a retired 
Brigadier General.  He holds a civil engineering degree from 
the Engineering Technical School in Quito.  As a military 
officer, General Espinosa's positions included: Military 
Institute Professor for Officials and Troops, Sub-director of 
the School of Engineers, Chief of Operations of the Engineers 
Battalion "Chimborazo", Assistant to the Military Attache in 
the Ecuadorian Embassy in Washington, Sub-director of the 
Army War Academy, and Commander of the Honorary Battalion 
"General Cordova." 
 
3.  (U) After suffering from cancer, General Espinosa founded 
SOLCA (Society for the Fight against Cancer) of which he has 
been president since 1978; he also founded its oncological 
hospital in Quito.  He also was national Comptroller General 
(1972-1976) and Director of the Pichincha Chamber of 
Industries (1988-1990). 
 
4.  (C) According to Bertha Garcia, a professor at Quito's 
Catholic University and pol-mil expert, General Espinosa is 
organized, well-connected politically, and honest.  In her 
opinion, he is a great improvement over previous Minister of 
Defense Herrera.  However, Espinosa has been out of the 
political and military scene for awhile, she noted. 
 
Minister of Finance Rafael Correa 
--------------------------------- 
 
5.  (U) Rafael Correa Delgado, 42 years old, is an economist 
who received his degree from the Santiago of Guayaquil 
Catholic University.  He received his doctorate in economics 
from the University of Illinois- Champaign and a master's 
degree from the Catholic University of Lovaina in Belgium. 
He has served as head of the economics department at the San 
Francisco University in Quito, as well as guest professor at 
various Quito and Guayaquil universities.  Correa has also 
been a consultant for the UN Development Program and the 
Japanese Development Bank.  He is the author of the book, 
"The Vulnerability of the Ecuadorian Economy."  Correa is a 
native of Guayaquil. 
 
6.  (U) Since assuming his post, Correa has announced that 
there would be a major shift in economic policy.  Correa 
voiced his intention to use petroleum money to pay the social 
debt, instead of foreign debt.  Based on prior Embassy 
contact with Correa, he has voiced anti-FTA, anti-IMF, and 
anti-Washington sentiments.  Correa has said publicly that 
any FTA would be submitted to a referendum. 
 
Minister of Trade Oswaldo Molestina 
----------------------------------- 
 
7.  (U) Dr. Oswaldo Molestina Zavala was born in Guayaquil on 
November 3, 1946.  He holds a J.D. and a master's degree in 
international affairs, both from the University of Guayaquil. 
 He was Comptroller General from 1988-1998 and the Governor 
of Guayas province from 1990-1992 (as part of the Democratic 
Left party).  He was a Congressman until 2003 where he was 
president of the International Affairs Committee.  His 
previous experience also includes:  Ecuador's representative 
to the XXXII UN General Assembly Meeting (New York, 1977); 
Minister Judge, Superior Court of Guayaquil (1985-7); and 
President Superior Court of Justice (1986-87). 
8.  (U) Dr. Molestina is married to Maria Elena Noboa, the 
sister of PRIAN leader Alvaro Noboa, however, divorce 
proceedings were initiated in 2004.  They have two sons.  Dr. 
Molestina speaks English well.  He sails and plays 
volleyball. 
 
Governor of Guayas Guido Chiriboga 
---------------------------------- 
 
9.  (C) On April 22, Guayaquil Consul General was informed 
that Guido Chiriboga Parra, a one-time former governor of 
Guayas, had been re-named to the position.  Chiriboga is 
married to a former US vice-consul Audelia Chiriboga.  His 
daughter is environmental activist Deborah Chiriboga, and his 
brother is Vice Mayor of Guayaquil Luis Chiriboga; relations 
with his brother, however, are not good.  Chiriboga is 
friendly to the US, and does not get along with PSC party 
leaders Leon Febres Cordero or Jaime Nebot. 
KENNEY