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 002863 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL EC
SUBJECT: ECUADOR: PALACIO SWEARS IN TWO NEW CABINET MEMBERS 
 
REF: QUITO 2814 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  On December 14, President Alfredo Palacio 
swore in Alfredo Castillo Bujase as the new Minister of 
Government (the fourth person to hold this post since Palacio 
took office in April).  Acting Minister of Government Galo 
Chiriboga returned to his previous post as Minister of Labor. 
 Jose Modesto Apolo replaced Luis Herreria as Presidential 
Administration Secretary on December 14.  More Cabinet 
changes are expected in coming days or weeks.  Below is 
biographical information for the following new Cabinet 
members and government officials:  Minister of Government 
Alfredo Castillo and Administration Secretary Jose Modesto 
Apolo.  End Summary. 
 
Minister of Government Alfredo Castillo 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) On December 15, Castillo told press that as Minister 
of Government, he will continue government efforts to convoke 
a referendum on a national constituent assembly to consider 
constitutional reforms.  He reportedly said the project would 
not be immediate, would not go through Congress, and would 
include one question on whether to convoke a constituent 
assembly.  His other priority would be "recovering national 
sovereignty." 
 
¶3.  (U) Castillo was born November 24, 1939 in Guayaquil.  He 
holds degrees in law and economics from Quito's Central 
University.  He studied in the former Soviet Union and 
Britain.  Castillo, a former hard-line Marxist, was a leader 
of the Communist Party's "Leftist Broad Front" ("Frente 
Amplia de la Izquierda" or FADI) in the 1970s.  He founded 
the National Liberation Party (NLP) in October 1987 and 
served as secretary general of the party.  The party 
dissolved in 1995.  Press reports claim that President 
Palacio's father was a member. 
 
¶4.  (U) Since 1973, Castillo has held academic posts at the 
Central University, University of Guayaquil, and Catholic 
University.  From 1973-74, Castillo was head of Central 
University's Sociology Department. 
 
¶5.  (U) In 1990, Castillo was an unsuccessful candidate for 
Congress, representing Pichincha province.  His campaign 
slogan was "Be Free!" and his platform was to include 
workers' representatives on the Monetary Board, modify the 
structure of the National Development Bank, and promote 
greater state support for science and technology related to 
production. 
 
¶6.  (U) Castillo was named advisor to then-President Abdala 
Bucaram (PRE) in July 1996.  Castillo became banana magnate 
Alvaro Noboa's vice presidential candidate in the 1998 
elections on the Bucaram's PRE party's ticket.  Castillo met 
Noboa when he was advisor to Bucaram and Noboa was president 
of the Monetary Board.  These associations would appear to 
indicate a migration in the post-1989 era from communist 
dogma to a more generalized populism. 
 
¶7.  (U) Castillo is married to Martha de Diago de Castillo 
and has two children.  In his free time, he reads, studies, 
and writes.  He has written works including "Keynes and the 
Political Economy of the 20th Century" and "Particularities 
of Latin-American Development."  He enjoys reading the 
literature of authors including Shakespeare, Balzac, and 
Garcia Marquez, and the writings of Hegel and Marx. 
 
Administration Secretary Jose Modesto Apolo 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) Apolo becomes Presidential Administration Secretary, 
similar to White House Chief of Staff, after having been a 
close political advisor to Palacio.  Apolo met Palacio when 
he was the senior Under Secretary for Trade under President 
Sixto Duran Ballen in 1995-96 and Palacio was serving as 
Duran Ballen's Minister of Health. 
 
¶9.  (U) Apolo has a master's degree in international affairs 
and diplomacy, as well as a law degree.  At age 19, Apolo 
participated in protests against the dictator Ramon Castro 
Jijon, organized by the Guayaquil Chamber of Commerce.  In 
1986, he ran for provincial councilor for Guayas on the 
Liberal Party's ticket, but did not win.  Since his failed 
candidacy, he has not had any political party affiliation. 
 
¶10.  (U) Apolo has been active in the Guayaquil Chamber of 
Commerce, the Guayaquil Chamber of Industry, and the Maritime 
Chamber.  He has also served as an advisor to the National 
Port Council and has been director of the Port Authority and 
Customs.  In Guayaquil, Apolo runs a law firm founded by his 
father, Apolo and Associates, which specializes in maritime 
issues. 
 
¶11.  (U) In 1999, Apolo was treated for a cancer on his 
tongue.  He later founded the Ecuadorian Foundation Against 
Cancer.  His health is said to currently be good.  He has 
been involved in charity exchanges with Sloan-Kettering 
hospital in New York. 
 
¶12.  (U) Apolo has been married to Maria Lorena Santos for 28 
years and the couple has two children, one of whom is an 
architect living in Miami.  Apolo speaks good English.  He is 
called "Pepe" by his friends.  Apolo's father, Modesto Apolo 
Ramirez, was a leader of the Liberal Party. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶13.  (SBU) We remain leery of Castillo's leftist credentials, 
despite assurances he will not be permitted to deal with U.S. 
bilateral interests (RefTel).  Apolo has been better known 
and generally helpful to us in the past.  Both men appear to 
favor Palacio's political strategy of confronting the 
political party elites at considerable risk to this 
government's stability.  The Ambassador will request a 
meeting with Castillo to size him up and seek common ground, 
especially in the fight against trafficking in persons. 
JEWELL