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Cablegate: Ecuadorian Vfm On Human Rights and Aladi

Published: Fri 1 Oct 2004 07:22 PM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS QUITO 002655
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
PLEASE PASS TO USOAS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM AORC PREL PGOV EC
SUBJECT: ECUADORIAN VFM ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND ALADI
1. (SBU) Summary: Perhaps to signal his willingness to act
as a U.S. ally in his new position on the UN Human Rights
Commission, FM Edwin Johnson expressed concern to DCM about
Venezuelan and Cuban diplomatic activities in Ecuador and the
politicization of the Latin American Integration Association
(ALADI). End Summary.
2. (SBU) On September 30, DCM met with Johnson, who was
recently elected to the UN Human Rights Commission. Johnson
was very grateful for USG support for his UNHRC candidacy and
said he looked forward to working with the U.S. delegation.
3. (SBU) Johnson said he had once been a supporter of the
NAM in the 1970s but is now more cynical about the motives of
ideologically-based groups. He said he and FM Zuquilanda had
called in the Cuban and Venezuelan ambassadors to protest
support for local Bolivarian movements and anti-globalization
groups. (Press reported the creation of the Bolivarian
Republican Movement of Ecuador on September 2.) The GoE
perceives these groups as anti-government and any outside
support as meddling in Ecuador's domestic affairs. The Cuban
ambassador denied any GoC support to local groups, according
to Johnson.
4. (SBU) Johnson also expressed concern that ALADI had
become increasingly distracted from its mission of economic
integration by the efforts of members nations, including
Venezuela, Cuba and others, to insert political issues to its
agenda. Separately the same day, MFA Acting U/S for
Multilateral Affairs Julio Prado raised the same issue with
PolCouns. He suggested the USG to weigh in with the
Uruguayan government on the upcoming October 18 ALADI Foreign
Minister's meeting in Montevideo, to discourage discussions
of political issues better left to other venues such as the
OAS. Prado said the topics currently being proposed include:
terrorism/arms (Venezuela and Cuba), foreign debt
(Argentina), Malavinas/Falklands (Argentina),
counter-narcotics (Colombia).
5. (SBU) Comment: The GoE's pique over Cuba and Venezuelan
meddling in Ecuador's domestic politics might make Johnson
more of an ally in the UNHRC than we might have expected.
KENNEY
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