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

211932Z Nov 05

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 QUITO 002685 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OTRA ASEC EAIR
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR FAA PERSONNEL - LORNA L. JOHN 
 
REF: 211932Z NOV 05 
 
¶1. Post welcomes and grants country clearance to Lorna L. 
John, Senior Attorney, International Affairs and Legal Policy 
Division, AGC-7, FAA, to Quito, Ecuador from November 28, 
2005 - December 3, 2005, to review pending aviation law with 
the civil aviation authority.  Embassy POC is Econ Officer 
Paul Baldwin.  Embassy telephone is: 593-2-256-2890, ext. 
4426; cell phone number 099-442-552.  Please read the 
following paragraphs carefully. 
 
¶2. All personnel transferring to an overseas location under 
COM authority must complete appropriate overseas personal 
security training prior to travel.  It is the responsibility 
of the sponsoring office to verify that this training has 
been completed. 
 
¶3. 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 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. 
 
¶4.  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 our 
sponsoring agency is not signed up for ICASS services to 
post, please be prepared to sign a MOU for ICASS support 
services upon arrival.  The agency should provide post with 
written communication, generated by the traveler's 
headquarters that confirms the agency will pay ICASS charges 
for the TDYers, provides the agency ICASS billing c 
ode 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. 
 
¶5. 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. 
 
¶6. 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. 
 
¶7.  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 conditions, free ranging animals, 
unsafe vehicles and drivers dictate against night travel 
outside urban areas. 
 
¶8. 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. 
 
¶9.  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. 
 
¶10.  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 Press Specialist Renata Barragan at (02) 250-2053. 
JEWELL