VZCZCXYZ0009
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHQT #0391/01 0441347
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 131347Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3605
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 5344
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1561
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ FEB 9650
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 0318
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 9905
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS QUITO 000391 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EC
SUBJECT: AMB. PROMOTES HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN IMBABURA 
PROVINCE 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  During a February 7 trip to Imbabura province, 
two hours north of Quito, the Ambassador toured a U.S. 
military Medical Readiness Exercise (MEDRETE), met with the 
indigenous mayor of Otavalo and town councilors, toured a 
water system project sponsored by AID, and visited a Peace 
Corps site.  The MEDRETE was covered extensively by the 
media, where the Ambassador expressed President Bush's 
message that we want to be "partners for a better life."  The 
mayor outlined the successes of his USAID-funded water 
project and discussed his economic development plans.  At the 
Peace Corps site, the Ambassador received an explanation of 
how, with USDA PL-480 funds and the help of the Peace Corps 
volunteer, the community has dramatically increased its 
income and quality of life.  End Summary. 
 
MEDRETE Receives Press Coverage 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  The Ambassador toured a MEDRETE site in the heavily 
indigenous city of Otavalo on February 7.  The MEDRETE was 
sponsored by U.S. and Ecuadorian Air Forces, with logistical 
support from the Ecuadorian Army, and provided free medical 
services in the areas of general medicine, optometry, and 
dentistry to more than 8,500 local patients over 10 days.  On 
February 7, the Otavalo MEDRETE attended 1,501 patients, a 
new record for patients treated in one day during a MEDRETE 
held in Ecuador.  The Ambassador donated a box of books to 
the school that was hosting the MEDRETE.  Four Peace Corps 
volunteers helped by interpreting between the doctors and 
patients. 
 
¶3.  After the MEDRETE, the Ambassador held a press conference 
where she highlighted President Bush's State of the Union 
message, especially the message that "we want to be partners 
for a better life" in response to questions from journalists 
on why the U.S. sponsors these events.  Saturation coverage 
on the February 7 evening news shows also included interviews 
with Ecuadorian beneficiaries and U.S. military medical 
personnel.  The Ambassador, when asked by the media about 
tensions between the Ecuadorian and Colombian governments, 
stressed that the two governments should maintain an open 
dialogue. 
 
Mayor Highlights Water System Project Success 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  The Ambassador met with Otavalo mayor Mario Conejo and 
nine town councilors in the municipal building.  Later, she 
toured a municipal water laboratory.  In the meeting, the 
mayor described the successes of the water system project, 
his goals for the municipality, and visa issues.  He thanked 
the Ambassador for USAID's partial financial support (over 
$200,000) to the municipality of Otavalo for improvements and 
extension of coverage for its water system.  Besides the 
municipality contribution, local citizens also volunteered 
their time and are paying a 800 percent tariff increase for 
the improved water service.  The improvements to the water 
system have resulted in a twelve percent savings in the use 
of water.  Currently, 98 percent of the municipality has 
potable water, up from 48 percent, a significant achievement. 
 
¶5.  The mayor said improving basic services was one of his 
primary goals.  He contrasted his own pure motives with those 
of other politicians seeking only high profile projects to 
increase their publicity.  (Comment:  This was probably a jab 
at his rival, Presidential aspirant Auki Tituana, mayor of 
neighboring Cotacachi.)  The mayor also claimed to work 
cooperatively with the town councilors, with 95 percent of 
the town council's decisions reached by consensus.  The mayor 
said he seeks to promote economic development in his city and 
asked if his citizens, known for their international sales of 
handicrafts, could form an organized enterprise and receive 
U.S. business visas in this manner.  A town councilor 
described a trafficking in persons project she was interested 
in developing. 
 
Dramatic Improvement in Local Cheese 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶6.  The Ambassador visited the site of a Peace Corps 
volunteer working between the cities of Otavalo and Cayambe, 
in Eugenio Espejo.  The volunteer applied for and received 
USDA PL-480 funds to improve the product quality, hygiene 
standards, and marketing of the local cheese production 
factory.  The Ambassador toured the factory and sampled the 
cheese, while listening to locals describe the cheese 
 
production process.  The Ambassador then toured the 
community-run veterinary medicine chest which the Peace Corps 
volunteer also started and visited the volunteers' home. 
Finally, the Ambassador visited the community school where 
the volunteer had arranged for a group of American high 
school students to come to Ecuador to build a multi-use 
sports facility. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  The Ambassador's trip offered a great opportunity to 
highlight U.S. military humanitarian assistance, receiving 
widespread media coverage due to the Ambassador's presence. 
It also provided a useful opportunity to encourage bilateral 
dialogue with Colombia, and to encourage consensus-building 
at the local level.  The Peace Corps project showed how much 
goodwill can be created by a single volunteer's dedication. 
We will follow up with the Otavalo town councilor regarding 
the trafficking in persons project. 
JEWELL