US embassy cable - 05QUITO2008

C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 002008 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS USOAS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/24/2015 
TAGS: KSUM, SOCI, PGOV, EC 
SUBJECT: FM PARRA TO CARACAS SOCIAL CHARTER EVENT, NOT TO 
RESIGN 
 
REF: SECSTATE 154693 
 
Classified By: PolChief Erik Hall for reasons 1.4 (b&d) 
 
1.  (C) PolChief conveyed reftel points to acting MFA U/S for 
Multilateral Affairs, Carmen Larrea on August 24. 
 
2.  (C) Larrea confirmed that FM Parra would attend the 
August 28 OAS Social Charter event in Caracas. 
 
3.  (C) According to Larrea, the GOE is in accord with the 
U.S. position that the Social Charter negotiation be by 
consensus, and led by the General Secretariat.  She expressed 
understanding of USG concern that Chavez' initiative could 
risk breaking with good faith efforts to develop consensus. 
Nevertheless, she said, the GOE recognizes the GOV's 
long-standing interest and advocacy in favor of a Social 
Charter.  She noted that the GOV had been inclusive in 
inviting all OAS nations to send representatives to Caracas. 
 
4.  (C) Larrea agreed that only a consensus document 
developed by the General Secretariat with input from all 
interested nations should serve as the basis for 
negotiations.  She had briefed FM Parra before he left Quito 
(for a ministerial in Bariloche, then Caracas), and as far as 
she knew, he is in agreement with this position. 
Accordingly, Parra would not offer a GOE position on the 
Venezuelan proposal per se;  instead, the GOE would consider 
all proposals and seek to advance the Charter negotiation 
through consensus building. 
 
5.  (C) Larrea also denied rumors that Parra was intending to 
resign, saying that as acting MFA spokesperson, she had 
confronted him about his intentions on August 23.  Parra 
publicly denied the rumors on August 24, speaking to the 
Ecuadorian press from Argentina. 
 
6.  (C) Comment:  While agreeing with our demarche points 
about process, we sense strong sympathy within the GOE (at 
least in the MFA) for the GOV proposal.  Larrea admitted as 
much on a personal level, while acknowledging that the 
proposed charter was "utopic." 
 
JEWELL