VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHQT #0995/01 1142203
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 242203Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4127
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 5563
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1701
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ APR 9792
RUEHPE/AMEMBASSY LIMA PRIORITY 0535
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL PRIORITY 0305
RHMFISS/CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL

UNCLAS QUITO 000995 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EC
SUBJECT: WHA/AND DIRECTOR FRENCH VISITS NORTHERN BORDER, 
QUITO 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  On April 17, WHA Andean Affairs Director 
Philip French and Embassy officials visited the towns of Lago 
Agrio and General Farfan on Ecuador's northern border with 
Colombia.  At the USG-funded Lago Agrio police base, the 
province's narcotics chief described challenges with 
informants and evidence.  Ecuadorian military officials of 
the 24th Special Forces Group told us of FARC and other 
drug-related activity in the border region, highlighting the 
permeability of the border and lack of a permanent Colombian 
government presence.  In General Farfan, a known FARC R&R 
spot, USAID projects help strengthen the town's 
infrastructure.  On April 18 in Quito, opinion makers and 
Congress members shared uniformly pessimistic views on 
Ecuador's and neighboring countries' elections.  End Summary. 
 
Police Combat Drugs Transiting Ecuador 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) Taking advantage of a visit by WHA/AND Director Phil 
French, on April 17 Embassy officials visited Ecuadorian 
Narcotics Police installations in Lago Agrio, the capital of 
Sucumbios province and a hub for Ecuador's petroleum 
production industry.  The town is located 20 minutes from the 
border, adjacent to Colombia's FARC-infested Putumayo 
province.  Lago Agrio's National Anti-Narcotics Police base 
has new offices, dormitories, and police dog kennels, all 
built with NAS and SOUTHCOM funds.  Police LTC Victor Hugo 
Londono, Sucumbios province narcotics chief, told us his 
biggest challenge was not having resources to compensate 
informants.  Another problem was that the head of CONSEP, the 
government agency responsible for combating narcotics 
trafficking, was not present in the same province.  Until 
this representative visited Lago Agrio, police were unable to 
do anything with the drug evidence they seized, he said. 
Londono said the unit had seized chemicals and cocaine paste, 
coming from Colombia through Ecuador, to be smuggled back 
towards Ipiales, Colombia. 
 
Military Concerned About Lack of GOC Border Presence 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) At a visit of the 24th Special Forces Group of the 
19th Jungle Brigade, 4th Division Military Command in Lago 
Agrio on April 17, Group CDR LTC Narvaez and other Ecuadorian 
military representatives described the lack of a permanent 
Colombian military presence on the Colombian side of the 
border in recent decades.  The Colombian military utilizes 
mobile units for 15-30 day periods in the border area (often 
prompting FARC to seek refuge on the Ecuadorian side), and 
then pulls its soldiers out.  Insurgents then return across 
the border.  Ecuadorian military representatives said that in 
January they had detained two Colombians using Ecuador as an 
R&R point.  There is only one legal border crossing in the 
24th Special Forces Group operation area, but military 
contacts acknowledged that the entire border is permeable. 
Ecuadorian military representatives described the Center for 
Border Attention, a checkpoint built five years ago to comply 
with an agreement signed with Colombia to control migration 
and commerce.  Colombia has yet to build an equivalent center 
on its side of the border and meanwhile, the Ecuadorian 
center remains unoccupied. 
 
AID Projects Help Border Town 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) USG officials also visited USAID-funded projects in 
General Farfan, a parish town of over 1,200 residents 20 
 
minutes north of Lago Agrio on the San Miguel River and 
Colombia border.  The town is frequented by FARC militants, 
who use it as an R&R spot; one local official reported 
spotting FARC militants in the town on April 17.  During a 
tour of town water system facilities, General Farfan 
officials described how they were maintaining the water 
system.  A town representative said the user fees are 
successfully collected and meet operational costs of the 
system, guaranteeing its long term sustainability.  At a 
riverfront esplanade, built as a retention wall to prevent 
flooding, the town's denizens turned out with pride to 
showcase the project, which has also boosted the town's 
appeal as a weekend and nightspot destination. 
 
Ecuadorian Leaders Pessimistic About Elections, Stability 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶5.  (SBU) In Quito on April 18, Congressional deputies Luis 
 
 
Fernando Torres (Social Christian Party), Hugo Ibarra Parra 
(Liberty Movement), and Hugo Ruiz (Democratic Left) shared 
their views on the southern border, including Ecuadorian 
views on pending elections in Peru.  The congressmen agreed 
that Ecuador's relations with its southern neighbor would 
worsen should Ollanta Humala be elected.  They predicted that 
in a run-off between Humala and Alan Garcia, a large portion 
of Lourdes Flores' supporters would nullify their votes, 
benefiting Humala.  On Colombia, Ruiz claimed that Uribe's 
popularity had reportedly dropped significantly recently. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) If Rafael Correa (former MinFin and populist 
presidential pre-candidate with alleged ties to Venezuela's 
Chavez) gains indigenous support, the deputies agreed, he 
might become a contender to enter the second round run-off. 
Should Correa make it to the second round, he would have the 
advantage as a populist, and the only candidate with an 
anti-system message.  All agreed that if Correa won, he would 
be a disaster for Ecuador's development prospects.  Nobody 
thought former President Gutierrez would be permitted to run 
for president, due to constitutional prohibitions. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) All agreed, however, that the next elected 
President is destined to fail.  With Ecuador heading into the 
abyss, many Ecuadorians may be tempted to turn to an 
authoritarian leader, according to Torres.  The Congress 
members thought a political alliance to pursue a minimum 
agenda was unlikely, given existing long-standing rivalries. 
They also doubted there was any chance for an FTA with the 
U.S. to be signed this year.  Similar pessimism was expressed 
in a separate meeting by a group of thinkers and opinion 
makers. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The lack of a Colombian official presence on 
Ecuador's border remains striking, and clearly complicates 
GOE efforts to prevent penetration by irregulars.  Progress 
developing the Ecuadorian side was apparent, during our 
visit, but there is clearly a need for more. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Ecuadorians are generally a pessimistic bunch when 
talking about their own political system, which only makes it 
harder for them to seize opportunities to advance.  We refuse 
to buy into the notion that nothing can be done by 
Ecuadorians of goodwill to strengthen Ecuador's democracy, 
and value the opportunity presented by high-level visits by 
Washington officials to encourage key leaders to play a 
responsible role. 
JEWELL