US embassy cable - 05QUITO1804

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 001804 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, EC, VE, Regional 
SUBJECT: PALACIO SNUBS VENEZUELAN FM 
 
REF: QUITO 1403 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires AI Larry Memmott for reasons 1.4 (b&d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  FM Antonio Parra, acting without the 
President's knowledge or consent, reportedly arranged an 
August 3 lunch for President Palacio with Venezuelan FM Ali 
Rodriguez.  Palacio only found out about the invitation the 
evening of August 2 from his adviser Luis Herreria and 
quickly canceled the lunch.  A courtesy call was planned for 
August 3 instead.  Palacio was clearly angered by Parra's 
actions and seems disinclined to get as cozy with Venezuela 
as his Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy would like. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) In an August 3 meeting with the Charge, President 
Palacio said that he was rumored to be hosting a lunch for 
Venezuelan FM Ali Rodriguez that day, but that it was instead 
only a courtesy call, which he was obliged to offer with 
Rodriguez in town.  Rodriguez was in Ecuador to attend the 
South American Foreign Ministers conference in Guayaquil the 
week of August 1.  Presidential Secretary Luis Herreria, 
lying in wait for the Charge after his Presidential meeting, 
privately added that FM Antonio Parra had arranged the lunch 
for August 3 without Palacio's approval.  Palacio had not 
been aware of the planned lunch until Herreria showed him an 
invitation the evening of August 2, he said.  According to 
Herreria, Palacio was livid when he found out Parra made the 
invitation without his knowledge, and proceeded to phone the 
rotund FM and yell profanities at him. 
 
3.  (C) The President canceled the lunch with Rodriguez, 
scheduling instead a courtesy call for August 3.  Herreria 
said "not even coffee" would be served to the Venezuelan. 
Herreria told the Charge that Rodriguez was reportedly 
furious and would not come to the Palace for the courtesy 
call.  Herreria, who called Chavez "diabolical" in a recent 
public statement, gleefully noted the obvious, "this is a 
huge diplomatic incident." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
4.  (C) This incident supports suspicions that FM Parra 
(along with MinFin Correa) are largely behind Ecuador's 
increased coziness with Venezuela.  Palacio, in contrast, is 
skeptical of having such a close relationship with the GOV, 
and the diplomatic incident this issue may cause should 
decrease chances of improvements in GOE-GOV relations. 
MEMMOTT