US embassy cable - 05QUITO1741

UNCLAS QUITO 001741 
 
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, Regional 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA REACTION: ECUADORIAN RELATIONS WITH 
VENEZUELA 
 
1.  "Possible Accords with Venezuela," an opinion 
column (07/23) by Orlando Alcvar in Guayaquil's (and 
Ecuador's) center-right "El Universo" (weekend circ. 
240,000) 
 
Quote:  "Although Chavez's proposals are moved by the 
best intention, they also carry along an undeniable 
political ingredient that demands enough capacity to 
handle them in the right way, because no one ignores 
the interest the Commander has to lead the whole 
region and demonstrate to the U.S. -which he 
opposes-that he has allies in its back yard, which 
might cause frictions that are inconvenient for any 
country. 
 
". . . we have to be careful.  It is positive that we 
do not think only about Wall Street, and that we open 
the range of possibilities to interest Venezuela, 
Colombia, Brazil, China, and any other country 
willing to cooperate with our development. . ." 
 
2.  "Turn in Foreign Policy," an editorial (07/21) in 
Guayaquil's (and Ecuador's) center-right "El 
Universo" (circ. 140,000) 
 
Quote:  "[The government strategy to have a more open 
and balanced foreign policy] has resulted in a couple 
of specific accords with Venezuela that. . . not only 
respond to concrete financial needs, but also on 
terms advantageous for the country. 
 
"Venezuela is a nation close by.  The ties that link 
us are deep. . . That does not imply, of course, 
sympathy with the project nor methods used by the 
present Venezuelan regime, which we have criticized 
harshly due to its flagrant lack of respect for the 
basic principles of democracy. . . 
 
3.  "Accords with Venezuela?" an editorial (07/21) in 
Cuenca's center-right "El Tiempo" (circ. 7,000) 
 
Quote:  "The Venezuelan offer for Ecuador to use its 
[oil] refinerie is attractive. 
 
"However, some national analysts have warned about 
what they consider an eventual risk if negotiations 
on oil and debt with Venezuela come to fruition. 
They contend this would have geopolitical 
implications, because a [agreements] in the oil and 
external debt areas with the nation ruled by Hugo 
Chavez, would put distance between Ecuador and the 
United States, our main business partner. . . Those 
opinions are reasonable, of course, but we cannot 
forget that a sovereign country can arrive at accords 
or negotiations with any state it wishes to. . . It 
is evident that Hugo Chavez is playing a political 
card with his apparent generous offer, but the 
Ecuadorian government will have to negotiate very 
skillfully, avoiding undesired commitment with the 
hemispheric policies led by Chavez." 
 
4.  "Venezuelan Variables," an editorial (07/22) in 
Quito's left, populist "La Hora" (circ. 120,000) 
 
Quote:  "Just as we advocated Ecuadorian neutrality 
and non-intervention in reference to the Colombian 
conflict, we should do the same with President 
Chavez's regime. . ." 
 
MEMMOTT