US embassy cable - 05QUITO1931

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 001931 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/16/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, CU, EC, Regional 
SUBJECT: PRES. PALACIO CONSIDERS, THEN REJECTS VISIT TO CUBA 
 
REF: SECSTATE 149883 
 
Classified By: PolChief Erik Hall for reason 1.4 (b&d) 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  On August 17, President Palacio shared with 
Charge his inclination to attend a ceremony in Havana for 
graduating Ecuadorian medical students on August 20.  Doing 
so would boost his international standing, he said, offering 
Latin America an alternative regional leader to Hugo Chavez. 
If the USG objected, he would cancel the trip.  After 
consulting with the Department, we advised against the 
presidential visit to Havana.  Palacio agreed to send an 
emissary instead.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) Palacio summoned Charge to meet with him on August 
17.  The Cuba trip was first on his agenda.  Other subjects 
will be reported via septels. 
 
3.  (C) Palacio said that he had been called the night before 
and invited to attend the graduation ceremony on August 20 of 
500-plus Ecuadorian students of medicine in Havana.  By 
visiting Havana, he believed, he could offer the South 
American region a more centrist alternative for regional 
leadership.  President Uribe is too identified with the U.S. 
to have regional credibility.  Sensitive to USG views on 
Cuba, he would defer the visit if the USG objected. 
 
4.  (C) After consulting with the Department, the Charge told 
Palacio that the USG would consider a presidential visit to 
Havana at this time to be unhelpful.  He suggested Palacio 
ask his Ambassador in Havana to represent him at the ceremony 
instead.  Palacio was not pleased with this suggestion, but 
perked up visibly when the Charge suggested the Minister of 
Health as another alternative. 
 
5.  (C) Comment:  For an unelected interim president, Palacio 
has surprisingly unrealistic ambitions to enter the regional 
stage.  With less than 18 months left in his presidency, if 
that; no political base; and barred from re-election until 
2010; such ambitions border on the irrational.  Palacio's 
reputed narcissism as a medical authority is starting to 
appear also in the political realm.  It is balanced, however, 
with the good sense to check with us before taking action. 
MEMMOTT