This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 000563 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TOAPHIS 008 
APHIS FOR JOSE REYES 
LAREDO, TEXAS FOR APHISATT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR JOSE REYES 
 
REF: USDA FAS 670389 
 
¶1.  Post welcomes and grants Country Clearance to Jose 
Reyes, PPQ Officer, Laredo, Texas to Guayaquil and Puerto 
Bolivar from March 2 to March 6, 2005 to vessel 
certification.  POC in Quito is Esteban Espinosa, APHIS 
Specialist, APHIS (Embassy: 593-2-2549848, Cel: 593-9-497- 
7133).  Please read the following paragraphs carefully. 
¶2.  Effective June 1, 2004, all personnel transferring to an 
overseas location under COM authority must complete 
appropriate overseas personal security training prior to 
travel. 
Effective January 1, 2005, this same requirement will also 
apply to American personnel requesting country clearance to 
perform extended temporarily duty (TDY, defined as more than 
30 days) at an overseas location. 
It is the responsibility of the sponsoring office to verify 
that this training has been completed. 
¶3.  Offices sponsoring TDY visitors must provide:  name, 
length of stay and clearance information to the RSO prior to 
visitor's arrival and issuance of embassy badge. 
Uncleared/non-official visitors must be escorted at all 
times. 
 
¶4.  All passengers, U.S. and third country nationals, who 
enter Ecuador on official travel require a visa.  There is 
an airport departure fee of USD 25.00 for departing 
passengers using international flights.  DOD personnel 
participating in GOE-approved deployments and exercises, and 
arriving with military orders, are exempt from the visa 
requirement and may travel on military orders. 
 
¶5.   Each  visitor,  regardless  of  length  of  stay,  must 
bring/forward  fiscal data to pay for direct  costs  of  the 
visit.   Each  agency, organization, or visiting  delegation 
will  be  charged for the actual costs attributed  to  their 
visit.  Direct charge costs include, but are not limited to: 
American   and   LES   staff  overtime   (e.g.,   expediter, 
accommodation  exchange,  representational  event  support), 
field  travel-lodging and M&IE by Embassy employees, vehicle 
rentals,  long distance telephone calls, equipment  rentals, 
office  supplies  and  all  other costs  that  are  directly 
attributable  to  the visit.  Also, for TDYers  over  thirty 
(30) days, there is a charge for ICASS support services.  If 
your  sponsoring agency is not signed up for ICASS  services 
at  post, please be prepared to sign a MOU for ICASS support 
services upon arrival.  The agency should provide post  with 
a   written   communication,  generated  by  the  traveler's 
headquarters that confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges 
for  the TDYers, provides the agency ICASS billing code  the 
TDY support charges should be applied to, and authorizes the 
traveler  to  sign the ICASS invoice generated  by  the  TDY 
module.   Where  travel is urgent, the TDYers  should  bring 
this  documentation  with  them  to  ensure  there  are   no 
interruptions  in the provision of service.  Post  will  not 
provide  any service to a TDYer staying in excess of  thirty 
days  without provision of this documentation before day  31 
of the TDY. 
 
¶6.  The State Department has designated Quito and Guayaquil 
as critical for criminal threat.  Usually, crimes are of a 
non-violent nature such as pick pocketing, burglary of 
personal effects, and thefts from vehicles.  However, 
violent crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery and car- 
jacking are increasing throughout Ecuador, especially in the 
urban areas.  Sexual assault cases against visitors in beach 
resort areas have occurred with regularity and none of the 
beaches are considered safe to walk on at night. 
 
¶7.  In Quito, extreme caution should be taken in tourist 
areas, transit points and crowded marketplaces, especially 
on the crowded streets of south Quito, buses and trolleys, 
the Panecillo (a city overlook point) and all transportation 
terminals.  For Guayaquil, caution should be taken when in 
the downtown section of the city, with extra caution taken 
while in the Malecon 2000 river front district, the docks 
and airport areas.  There have been many reports of luggage 
theft at the airport. 
 
¶8.  To avoid being the victim of a crime, visitors should 
remain alert to their surroundings and maintain constant 
control of purses, backpacks, briefcases and luggage.  Extra 
care should be taken with belongings if traveling on buses 
or trolleys.  Do not place bags or backpacks under your seat 
especially if they contain documents or money.  The use of 
some type of document pouch worn inside of clothing is 
recommended.  Expensive-appearing jewelry and watches should 
not be worn.  Poor road condition, free ranging animals, 
unsafe vehicles and drivers dictate against night travel 
outside urban areas. 
 
¶9.  Official visitors intending to travel into the Northern 
border provinces are required to seek permission through the 
RSO and DCM seven days prior to the planned travel.  A 
formal process is established for this request. 
 
¶10. Travelers to the capital city of Quito may require some 
time to adjust to the altitude (9,300 feet), which can 
adversely affect blood pressure, digestion, sleep and energy 
level.  Most people, even those who are healthy and fit, 
feel some symptoms of hypoxia (lack of oxygen) upon arrival 
in Quito.  Persons with medical conditions related to the 
circulatory or respiratory systems, (high blood pressure, 
history of coronary heart disease, emphysema, for example), 
and anyone with sickle cell anemia, should ask their 
physician if travel to Quito or other high-altitude 
locations is advisable.  U.S. government employees who do 
not have a class I medical clearance are requested to check 
with M/MED before planning travel to Quito.  Diamox, a 
medication commonly prescribed to aid with acclimatization, 
is not generally required for travel to Quito.  However, it 
is advisable to limit physical activity and drink plenty of 
nonalcoholic beverages for the first two to three days after 
arriving in Quito. 
 
 
Individuals with sickle cell trait should carefully consider 
the altitude of Quito before commencing with travel. Short 
term (TDY) assignments carry an added risk because of the 
lack of time for acclimatization. Dehydration and stress 
from exercise or illness compound the basic risks of high 
altitude. For more information, contact your health unit or 
the medical, clearances section of the Offices of Medical 
Services. 
 
¶11.  Visitors receiving country clearance should be aware 
that all interview requests, be they for backgrounding or on- 
the-record statements, for USG officials are vetted through 
PAS in Quito.  For visiting FSNs, please be advised that 
only requests for backgrounding or off-the-record context- 
setting will be considered and that these requests must also 
be vetted through PAS/Quito.  If a journalist approaches you 
for a statement/interview/reaction, please contact IO Glenn 
Warren at (02) 250-2053, cell:  099-823-323 or Press 
Specialist Renata Barragan at (02) 250-2053. 
 
KENNEY