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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHQT #2409/01 2722023
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 292023Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY QUITO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5365
INFO RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 6011
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ SEP LIMA 0987
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 2051
RUEHGL/AMCONSUL GUAYAQUIL 1214

UNCLAS QUITO 002409 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE, SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV EC
SUBJECT: ECUADORIAN AMAZON LEANS TOWARD CORREA; RESENTS CENTRAL 
GOVERNMENT ABANDONMENT 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The Amazon provinces of Orellana and Napo have 
largely indigenous populations and represent just over 1 percent of 
the national electorate - yet contribute approximately 60% of the 
national budget in the form of oil production.  During a recent 
visit by Emboffs, officials in both provinces expressed perceptions 
of neglect by the central government giving rise to disruptive and 
sometimes violent strikes to demand much needed resources. 
Resources were needed to improve poor educational and health 
systems, develop potable water projects, create employment 
opportunities and build roads.  Officials described the current 
political climate as one marked by high levels of apathy, with 
people more focused on the election of provincial representatives 
than on electing Ecuador's president.  Preparations for the upcoming 
elections were proceeding well.  Officials confided that leftist 
presidential candidate, Rafael Correa, one of the few candidates to 
visit the area, had attracted crowds in the thousands and impressed 
many with his populist message and by speaking in Kichwa to the 
largely indigenous communities. End Summary. 
 
Background 
 
¶2. (SBU) During a visit to the provinces of Orellana and Napo in 
northeastern Ecuador, from September 18-20, PolOff and AidOff met 
with local government and provincial electoral officials and civil 
society members to discuss local perceptions in the lead-up to 
elections scheduled for October 15 and other issues of concern. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Orellana, located in the northeastern portion of Ecuador, 
is Ecuador's newest province (it was once part of Napo), and the 
city of Francisco de Orellana (also known as El Coca) is the 
provincial capital.  The province has only existed since 1999 and is 
rich in oil and timber reserves.  It also boasts beautiful tropical 
scenery and a wealth of flora and fauna. Orellana has a population 
of close to 80,000, and counts 54,595 registered voters.  They have 
a high concentration of indigenous inhabitants; principally the 
Kichwa, Huaorani, and Schuar communities.  PolOff noted that most of 
the local government officials were of mestizo background and most 
had migrated from other areas of Ecuador; all were very sensitive to 
the needs of the indigenous communities, however.  The prefect (U.S. 
governor-equivalent), and mayor both belong to the same political 
party (DP-UDC/PSC/MUPP-NP); officials claimed strong coordination 
and collaboration as a result. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The province of Napo is located west of Orellana province, 
with Tena as its capital, and contains large sections of the Amazon 
rainforest.  Approximately 60% of the population is indigenous, 
primarily Kichwa.  Most of its 52,401 registered voters are located 
in Tena.  The prefect and mayor there belong to different political 
parties; local government officials noted a lack of coordination and 
collaboration as a result. 
 
Provincial Background 
 
¶5. (SBU) In El Coca, government officials discussed the province's 
recent experiences organizing disruptive transportation strikes to 
demand the central government's attention and seek additional 
resources.  Officials complained that oil revenue only benefited the 
central government, yet the province had to deal with oil production 
ills such as contaminated waterways and land, and blamed such 
contamination for a high incidence of cancer.  Officials said 
resources were needed to improve the educational and health systems, 
potable water projects, construction of better access roads, attract 
investment, and create employment opportunities.  They stressed they 
are focusing their efforts on post-oil, long-term plans and looking 
at ways to develop the tourism industry and agricultural projects as 
a means of diversification and employment creation.  They added the 
Ambassador of Korea had recently visited and offered development 
funds; trucks and better roads were needed to transport production 
to markets. 
 
¶6. (SBU) In Tena, government officials said the local population 
still resented the removal from power of native son and 
ex-president, Lucio Gutierrez, contributing to high levels of apathy 
and polarization.  As president, Gutierrez raised voter expectations 
which were never fulfilled.  Provincial officials were proud of 
their confrontations with the central government over issues such as 
control over local rivers, water resources, poor roads, low quality 
of education, high levels of illiteracy and insufficient medical 
facilities. 
 
Electoral History 
 
¶7. (SBU) In Orellana province, ex-president Lucio Gutierrez 
(PSP/MUPP-NP) received 73.77 percent of the vote in the second round 
of the 2002 presidential elections, with Alvaro Noboa (PRIAN) 
winning just 26.23 percent.  In 2004, Prefect Guadalupe Llori Abarca 
(DP-UDC/PSC/MUPP-NP) won the election with 35.95 percent of the 
vote, while El Coca mayor, Anita Rivas Parraga (DP-UDC/PSC/MUPP-NP) 
 
 
secured 35.43 percent of the vote. 
 
¶8. (SBU) In Napo province, ex-president Lucio Gutierrez 
(PSP/MUPP-NP) received 91.31 percent of the vote in the second round 
of the 2002 presidential elections, with Alvaro Noboa (PRIAN) 
winning just 8.69 percent.  In 2004, Prefect Gina Sanmiguel Palacios 
(PSC) won the election with 39.86 of the vote, while Tena mayor, 
Washington Varela Salazar (PSP) secured 28.83 percent of the vote, 
winning by a slim margin. 
 
Civil Society Participation 
 
¶9. (SBU) PolOff and AIDOff met with representatives of Citizen 
Participation (PC) in El Coca and Tena.  PC is an NGO assisting 
in election observation including: performing quick counts, 
providing candidate information, organizing public meetings with 
candidates with participation of citizens and media, and 
developing civic education campaigns to promote responsible 
voting and accountability.  Anita Gavilanes, a PC volunteer in 
El Coca, described the difficulty she encountered in raising 
civic pride and getting people to volunteer their time.  In the 
past candidates would offer parties, music, food, drink and cash 
gifts to gain voter support.  However, she hadn't seen such 
activity during this election period.  Gavilanes catalogued a 
litany of problems that create a high level of apathy among her 
province's population--especially its youth.  The lack of basic 
hospital services, poor schools and non-existent universities 
caused many young people to move elsewhere seeking jobs, and many 
young students moved to Cuba in search of free higher education. 
 
¶10. (SBU) David Granja, the PC representative in Tena, said 
leftist presidential candidate Rafael Correa had recently visited 
Tena and been enthusiastically received by crowds he estimated at 
8,000.  He was particularly impressed that youth groups had 
organized and coordinated bus services to transport people from the 
outlying areas into town.  He said Correa's populist message 
resonated with the crowds, particularly his theme that a percentage 
of oil revenues should be designated towards the building of roads. 
Correa's use of Kichwa, also made a positive impression.   Granja 
said Correa had used the same populist themes Gutierrez had, and was 
well received despite Correa's support for Gutierrez' ouster.  Luis 
Macas, in contrast, the  Pachakutik presidential candidate, had 
canceled a subsequent trip to Tena fearing he would not attract the 
same numbers as Correa, according to Granja.  Granja said that 
political participation by women during this electoral season had 
increased including non-indigenous women candidates running under 
the indigenous Pachakutik political movement.  Granja expressed deep 
concern over continued oil spills and the deviation of and 
commissioning of rivers to mining companies.  He said the affected 
indigenous communities were organizing; he feared future violent 
confrontations. 
 
Electoral Preparation Moving Forward 
 
¶11. (SBU) PolOff and AidOff met with electoral officials in both 
cities.  Representatives in both provinces said that election 
preparation was moving ahead relatively well, given the region's 
financial limitations. El Coca officials told us that voting booth 
training was underway and that voting booths were in the process of 
being set up in indigenous communities.  They were not well informed 
about the use of ballots for the blind, however.  In Tena, Electoral 
Tribunal President Edgar Santillan thought the Braille ballots would 
only be made available in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca.  He did not 
foresee major election irregularities and was encouraged by the 
participation of national election observers such as Citizen 
Participation and Q'uellkaj, an indigenous organization (both 
supported by USAID). 
 
Comment 
 
¶12. (SBU) Although government officials and civil society 
representatives stressed that high levels of apathy, particularly 
in the young, permeate both provinces, Correa's visit to the 
area had apparently awakened dormant voter interest.  Correa's 
populist message for change, targeting corruption and picking up 
on the unfulfilled promises of ex-president Gutierrez, apparently 
resonated with the local population.  Government officials in 
both provinces expressed concern about Correa's ability to 
deliver once in office. One official stated that Correa's message 
came "from his heart, not his head."  Many confided they were 
worried over a Correa presidency and wondered how long he would 
be able to remain in power, if elected. 
 
JEWELL