

Currently released so far... 12453 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
ASEC
AORC
AMGT
APER
AU
AF
AS
ACBAQ
AFGHANISTAN
AFIN
AR
AE
AJ
ADANA
AEMR
AG
ATRN
ADPM
APECO
AGAO
AMED
AX
AM
AL
ADCO
AA
AECL
AADP
ABUD
AMEX
ACAO
ANET
AODE
ASCH
AY
APEC
AID
AORG
ASEAN
AFSI
AFSN
AINF
AGR
AROC
AO
AMBASSADOR
AFFAIRS
ASIG
ABLD
ASUP
AND
ARM
ARF
AQ
ATFN
AC
ACOA
AORL
ADM
AUC
AGMT
ACABQ
ASEX
AFU
ALOW
AZ
APCS
AVERY
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AER
AN
AIT
AMG
AGRICULTURE
AMCHAMS
ACS
BR
BA
BD
BL
BO
BF
BU
BILAT
BEXP
BRUSSELS
BK
BN
BM
BT
BY
BX
BTIO
BIDEN
BG
BE
BP
BBSR
BC
BTIU
BWC
BB
BH
BMGT
CH
CY
CA
CU
CS
CO
CVIS
CPAS
CMGT
CE
COUNTER
CASC
COUNTRY
CJAN
COUNTERTERRORISM
CG
CI
CD
CIDA
CJUS
CDG
CBSA
CEUDA
CR
CM
CLMT
CAC
CBW
CODEL
COPUOS
CWC
CIC
CW
CBE
CHR
CFED
CT
CONS
CIA
CTM
CDC
CVR
CF
CLINTON
CITEL
CLEARANCE
COE
CN
CACS
CAN
CONDOLEEZZA
CB
CSW
CITT
CARSON
CNARC
CACM
CDB
CARICOM
COM
CROS
CAPC
CTR
CV
CKGR
CBC
CL
CICTE
CIS
ECON
EFIN
ELAB
ETRD
EIND
EC
EINV
EAGR
ENRG
ETTC
EAID
EPET
ELTN
EWWT
EAIR
EFIS
EMIN
EG
EU
ER
EUN
EPA
ENVI
EXTERNAL
ECPS
ENGR
ETRC
ECIN
EN
EI
ELN
ET
EINT
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ES
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
EZ
ETRO
EDU
ETRN
EFTA
EAIG
EK
EUREM
EURN
ECONCS
ECONOMICS
ENVR
ELECTIONS
EAP
ENIV
ECONOMY
ESA
EINN
ECONOMIC
EIAR
EXBS
ECA
ECUN
EINDETRD
EUR
EREL
EUC
ESENV
ECONEFIN
ECIP
ENERG
ENNP
EFINECONCS
EFIM
ENGY
EAIDS
EINVEFIN
EINVETC
EUMEM
ETRA
ETC
ERNG
ETRDECONWTOCS
EUNCH
ECINECONCS
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EXIM
ERD
EEPET
IR
IS
IZ
IAEA
IO
IAHRC
ID
IC
IT
IRAQI
IWC
IN
IL
ISLAMISTS
IV
ICAO
INDO
ITPHUM
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
IPR
ICRC
INTERPOL
IQ
IBET
IMO
INR
ITRA
INTERNAL
ICJ
ICTY
IRS
ILO
INRA
INRO
ISRAELI
IEA
INRB
ITALY
ITU
IBRD
IIP
ILC
INTELSAT
IZPREL
IMF
INMARSAT
IRAJ
IDA
ICTR
IA
IGAD
IF
IDP
ITF
ISRAEL
IEFIN
IRC
IACI
KN
KCRM
KOMC
KNNPMNUC
KIPR
KPAL
KWBG
KSCA
KFRD
KNNP
KUNR
KTIP
KWMN
KSTC
KFLU
KOLY
KISL
KPAO
KMDR
KJUS
KSTH
KDEM
KCOR
KIRF
KAWC
KU
KTFN
KWAC
KNPP
KERG
KSEO
KACT
KHLS
KZ
KGHG
KTIA
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCRCM
KE
KPKO
KCIP
KDRG
KVPR
KV
KIDE
KICC
KPRP
KBIO
KSUM
KGIT
KCFE
KG
KBTS
KFLO
KMPI
KS
KGIC
KPAI
KHSA
KTLA
KSEP
KTEX
KFSC
KOCI
KHDP
KPLS
KTDB
KHIV
KCSY
KSAC
KTRD
KID
KMRS
KOM
KSAF
KRVC
KR
KMOC
KNAR
KIRC
KBCT
KSPR
KFIN
KBTR
KJUST
KNEI
KAWK
KGCC
KMCA
KREL
KMFO
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFTFN
KVRP
KCOM
KO
KLIG
KAID
KVIR
KNSD
KHUM
KSEC
KRAD
KPRV
KCMR
KPWR
KCHG
KIFR
KCFC
KICA
KPIN
KSCI
KESS
KDEV
KTBT
KCRS
KCGC
KOMS
KRIM
KTER
KREC
KPOA
KWWMN
KRGY
KPAK
KWNM
KMIG
KDDG
KRFD
KWMM
KWMNCS
KX
KRCM
KPAONZ
KNUC
KDEMAF
KNUP
MARR
MOPS
MASS
MCAP
MTCRE
MNUC
MIL
MX
MEDIA
MO
MPOS
MU
ML
MA
MP
MY
MERCOSUR
MG
MD
MW
MK
MAS
MEETINGS
MR
MT
MI
MOPPS
MASC
MTS
MLS
MILI
MAR
MTRE
MEPN
MAPP
MTCR
MEPI
MQADHAFI
MAPS
MARAD
MASSMNUC
MEPP
MCC
MZ
MILITARY
MDC
MRCRE
MC
MV
MIK
MUCN
NATO
NL
NZ
NPT
NI
NAFTA
NU
NDP
NIPP
NP
NPA
NG
NRR
NO
NSC
NEW
NE
NH
NR
NA
NS
NSF
NZUS
NATIONAL
NSG
NC
NT
NAR
NK
NGO
NV
NSFO
NSSP
NASA
NW
NPG
NORAD
NATOPREL
OTRA
OAS
OPRC
OIIP
OVIP
OREP
OPDC
OEXC
OSCE
OFFICIALS
OMIG
ODIP
OFDP
OECD
OPIC
OBSP
OPCW
OFDA
OTR
OSAC
OSCI
ON
OCII
OES
OVP
OIC
OPAD
OIE
OHUM
OCS
PREL
PGOV
PK
PHUM
PINS
PARM
PA
PTER
PINR
PREF
PHSA
PBTS
PBIO
PO
POL
PE
PARMS
PM
PROG
PL
PAK
POLITICS
PORG
PTBS
PNAT
PUNE
POLICY
PDOV
PCI
PROP
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PBT
PP
PS
PAO
PG
PY
PTERE
PGOF
PALESTINIAN
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PSEPC
PREFA
PGOVE
PINF
PHUMPGOV
PNG
PMIL
PGOC
PFOR
PCUL
PLN
PSA
PGIV
POLINT
PAS
POGOV
PHUMPREL
PHUMBA
PEL
PGGV
PNR
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PGOVLO
PRAM
PHUS
PDEM
PECON
PF
POV
PROV
PRL
PREO
PAHO
PHUH
PSI
PINL
PU
PRGOV
PAIGH
POLITICAL
PARTIES
POSTS
RS
RU
REACTION
REPORT
REGION
RIGHTS
RO
RW
RCMP
RF
RM
RFE
RSP
RP
RICE
ROBERT
ROOD
RELATIONS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
RUPREL
RSO
SU
SNAR
SO
SOCI
SW
SENV
SMIG
SCUL
SP
SZ
SENVKGHG
SR
SY
SA
SYRIA
SF
SI
SC
SWE
SARS
STEINBERG
SN
SG
SIPRS
ST
SEVN
SL
SPCE
SNARIZ
SSA
SNARCS
SYR
SK
SPCVIS
SHUM
SIPDIS
SHI
SH
SOFA
SEN
SNARN
SAARC
SAN
SANC
SCRS
TRGY
TBIO
TU
TF
TERRORISM
TI
TSPL
TPHY
TH
TIP
TSPA
TC
TO
TW
TX
TZ
TNGD
TT
TL
TV
TFIN
TS
TRSY
TINT
TN
TURKEY
TBID
TD
TK
TR
THPY
TP
TAGS
UNGA
UN
UK
US
UNC
UNSC
USUN
UG
UP
UY
USEU
UNESCO
USPS
USTR
UZ
UNHRC
UNO
UNMIK
UNAUS
UNHCR
UNCHR
USAID
UNVIE
UAE
USOAS
UNFICYP
UV
UNEP
UNODC
UNCHS
UNIDROIT
UNDESCO
UNDC
UNCHC
UNDP
UNCND
USNC
UNPUOS
UNICEF
UNCSD
UE
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 05QUITO1058, ECUADOR: CONGRESS STRUGGLING TO REPAIR IMAGE
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #05QUITO1058.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
05QUITO1058 | 2005-05-10 19:07 | 2011-05-02 00:12 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Embassy Quito |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 QUITO 001058
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL EC
SUBJECT: ECUADOR: CONGRESS STRUGGLING TO REPAIR IMAGE
REF: QUITO 947
¶1. (U) Summary: The Ecuadorian Congress' already low
credibility was rocked by an inopportune sex scandal
involving sordid events in a Lima hotel room. Five
Ecuadorian deputies, in Lima to attend the round of free
trade agreement negotiations, allegedly caused thousands of
dollars of damage to a Lima hotel, and one female deputy has
accused a male deputy of making unwanted sexual advances and
breaking her ribs. Congress, desperate to improve its image,
proposed a bill to extend its work week and showed new energy
by voting on legislation to combat trafficking in persons.
Congress will also likely approve the President's partial
veto of the law to reorganize the Supreme Court and continue
to reapportion its committees to penalize parties which
supported ex-President Gutierrez. End Summary.
Congress Suspends Four Deputies
-------------------------------
¶2. (U) On May 6, in a closed session, Congress suspended the
four deputies involved in a scandal that occurred in a Lima
hotel on April 19, until their case can be reviewed by
Congress' Disciplinary Committee. The deputies Maria Augusta
Rivas (PRE), Ivan Vasquez (PRIAN), Franklin Sanmartin
(independent), and Jacobo Sanmiguel (independent) had
traveled to Lima to participate in the round of free trade
agreement negotiations. Another deputy, Mesias Mora was also
involved in the affair but had already been expelled from
Congress on other grounds. (reftel)
¶3. (U) Congress members have proposed that an eight-day
investigation of what Lima press are reporting as an
orgy/scandal be opened by the Disciplinary Committee.
Afterwards, the Committee will present a report to the
plenary which will analyze the extent of each deputy's
culpability in the matter. On May 10, the Disciplinary
Committee, led by deputy Hugo Ruiz (ID), will travel to Lima
to investigate the incident. They plan to speak with
employees of the hotel, a doctor that examined Ms. Rivas
after the incident, and with Santiago Cadena, the former
civil attache at Lima's Ecuadorian Embassy, who was called to
the hotel during the early hours of April 19.
Ecuadorian Attache's Version
----------------------------
¶4. (U) On April 19, the five deputies reportedly went to
Sanmartin's hotel room sometime after midnight, after having
dinner in a Lima restaurant, and ordered a bottle of whiskey.
The Ecuadorian civil attache in Lima, Santiago Cadena,
received a phone call at four A.M. from the hotel, asking him
to come to the hotel immediately. Cadena said he found the
hotel a disaster upon arrival. Hotel reps told Cadena, they
had sent a hotel staff member to open the door to Sanmartin's
hotel room after various complaints at around two A.M. and
caught Rivas and Sanmartin in a "compromising position."
¶5. (U) Cadena was told that ten minutes later Rivas stormed
out of the hotel room, accusing the other deputies of having
sexually assaulted her. This is when, apparently, there was
damage to hotel property, including broken lamps, objects
thrown on the floor, and aggression towards hotel staff. The
hotel reported approximately $4,000 worth of damage. To calm
Rivas down, the hotel staff injected her with a tranquilizer.
A medical exam conducted at the hotel, whose results are now
at the Ecuadorian Embassy in Lima, revealed that Rivas had
been intoxicated and also found traces of Valium in her
system. Rivas claimed the Valium found was from medicine the
doctors gave her after the incident. The deputies went down
to the lobby the following morning to pay for the damages,
according to Cadena.
Rivas Disputes Cadena's Version
-------------------------------
¶6. (U) The deputies involved disputed this version of the
story in the May 3 session of Congress. Rivas claimed she
was victim of a political persecution for being a member of
Bucaram's Ecuadorian Roldosista Party (PRE) party. Rivas
also reportedly went to a Quito clinic on May 6, where she
was found to have cracked ribs due to blows received from
Sanmartin, when she defended herself against his advances.
Rivas said Sanmartin had "disrespected" her and that she
reacted by slapping him; he in turn punching her. Rivas is
reportedly considering charges against Sanmartin. Sanmartin
offered a televised apology to Rivas for having acted in
excess; Rivas accepted the apology. Rivas, returning on May
5 from a subsequent trip to Lima, said she had sought an
appointment with Cadena to clear up the matter, but he
refused to see her.
Cadena Dismissed from Embassy
-----------------------------
¶7. (SBU) Cadena was removed from diplomatic service three
days after the incident. Luis Narvaez, the Ecuadorian
Ambassador to Peru, has said publicly that Cadena exaggerated
the extent of the incident and that Cadena's version is "far
from reality," yet claims Cadena's dismissal was for other
reasons. PolOff spoke with Cadena on May 9 who said that
mainstream media's accounts of the events were generally
accurate. Cadena said he assumed he had been sacrificed in
the name of bilateral relations. Cadena received a letter of
dismissal two weeks after the events, but two days before the
scandal hit the front pages.
Constituents React
------------------
¶8. (U) The scandal has provoked strong reactions among
constituents of the Congress members involved, almost
entirely negative. In Ambato (Tunguragua province) on May 6,
various local leaders met and decided that Sanmiguel should
resign immediately. In Cotopaxi province, various leaders of
the Indigenous and Peasant Movement of Cotopaxi asked the
same of deputy Vasquez. In both provinces, there is a
possibility of marches led by youth groups, some of which are
still calling for "todos fuera" or "everyone out", referring
to the Congress. The "forajidos" or "outlaws" who went to
the streets last month to protest Gutierrez are calling for
mobilizations outside Congress on May 12 to protest Congress
and Palacio's naming of Cabinet members who do not respond to
their calls for fresh faces.
Congress Desperately Changing Subject
-------------------------------------
¶9. (U) In the face of this new scandal, Congressional
leaders are trying to restore credibility to the institution.
Congressional president Wilfrido Lucero told PolOffs on May
2 that his priority would be to "restore Ecuador's
democracy," step by step. After the Supreme Court bill has
passed, the next step will be to reconstitute the electoral
court, which has a role to play in the selection of a new
Attorney General. After a new National Judicial Council is
named, Congress will turn to choosing a new constitutional
court. Lucero said he wants to maintain dialogue with the
President, but will avoid any legislative submissiveness to
the executive. Lucero said pending issues included TIP (a
personal concern of his), money-laundering, and the expulsion
of more deputies who had supported ex-President Gutierrez'
unconstitutional acts.
Veto Likely to Pass
-------------------
¶10. (U) Congress has 30 days from May 5 to decide whether to
accept or reject the President's partial veto of the law
concerning the make-up of the Supreme Court. To approve the
bill incorporating the President's veto, a simple majority is
needed; to override the veto, 67 votes are required. PRE
party members have said they will not participate in the
vote; the PRIAN party's position is unclear. According to
deputy Ramiro Rivera, the most controversial issues are
whether to reduce the number of magistrates from 31 to 16,
and the Supreme Court being left vacant while a new one is
formed. The congressional version had created a temporary
court, to be appointed by Congress. Lucero told us he too
believed this was of dubious constitutionality, and would not
object to a veto.
¶11. (U) Some worry that the Supreme Court, which already
reportedly has a backlog of 8,000 cases, must be replaced by
some interim judicial decision making body. The house arrest
of former President Gustavo Noboa on May 8 highlighted the
vacuum created by the lack of a top court. Noboa has charged
the Minister of Government and Acting Attorney General of
political persecution.
Constitutional Trial Balloon
----------------------------
¶12. (U) During the week of May 2, Lucero publicly expressed
interest in making a Constitutional change to reduce the
one-year waiting period for constitutional reforms to a few
months. PSC leaders publicly objected that Lucero did not
specify what reforms would be passed once this Constitutional
"lock" had been removed. Quito's protesters or "forajidos",
however, think political parties see this as a way to revise
the Constitution to serve their means.
Silver Lining?
--------------
¶13. (U) Other issues Congress is working on in an attempt to
show the public good faith include a bill that would seek to
combat trafficking in persons and child exploitation and a
bill to extend Congress' work week. Unfortunately, Congress
read and passed the wrong version of the TIP bill, and is
expected to start over on May 10. Congress will also begin
reallocating the various commissions.
Former First Lady Back in Congress
----------------------------------
¶14. (U) Former First Lady Ximena Bohorquez, wife of
ex-President Lucio Gutierrez, is free to resume her position
as a PSP Congressional deputy, according to Lucero.
Bohorquez and her daughter have refused assylee status in
Brazil on May 6 and reportedly returned to Ecuador on May 8.
She has reversed her earlier request to step down from
Congress, and was expected back in Congress on May 10.
Comment
-------
¶15. (SBU) Salacious national and international headlines
surrounding the Lima incident could not have come at a worse
time. Just when it thought it had gotten itself out of the
spotlight by booting out "deputies for sale," news of the
Lima scandal broke. Congress is obviously still jittery that
populist calls for "everyone out" of Congress will begin
again. We are cautiously optimistic that Congress' new
vulnerability could actually advance USG interests, and will
continue to press for Congressional action on key bills,
including TIP and money laundering.
CHACON