VZCZCXYZ0009
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #1223 3331628
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291628Z NOV 06
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6100
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7183
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 7620
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2634

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 001223 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD 
 
DEPT PASS USTR 
 
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: WESTERN HEMISPHERE: ECUADOR, U.S. BASE IN 
MANTA; SAO PAULO 
 
 
¶1. "In Chvez's Club" 
 
Liberal, largest national circulation daily Folha de S. Paulo 
(11/29) editorialized: "Leftist Rafael Correa was elected Sunday the 
eighth Ecuadorian president in the past ten years, and this shows 
the level of political instability in that Andean nation.... 
Correa's party did not elect any congressmen.... It is almost 
certain, therefore, that Correa, as happened with Hugo Chvez, of 
whom he is an admirer and friend, will call a Constituent Assembly, 
which may try to dissolve the Parliament.... Correa showed two faces 
during the campaign. In the first round, he adopted a radical 
discourse.... In the second, he moderated his tone. He repelled the 
idea of changing the currency and made comments aimed at pleasing 
investors. It is too soon to say which Correa will prevail. It is 
most likely that, as Evo Morales did in Bolivia, Correa will act as 
a populist nationalist domestically, and show himself more flexible 
and conciliatory in foreign policy.  Anyway, Brazilian diplomats 
should be prepared to face difficulties resulting from a regional 
reemergence of anti-imperialist caudillo-type politicians also in 
Ecuador." 
 
¶2. "A Moderate In Ecuador?" 
 
An editorial in center-right O Estado de S. Paulo (11/29) remarked: 
"Ecuadorian President elect Rafael Correa will face major 
difficulties to have his most ambitious project approved: the call 
of a Constituent Assembly to 're-found' Ecuador.... Correa has no 
congressional bloc to support him.... Prudently, he established 
priorities that have general support. He will not touch the nation's 
[dollar] currency adopted in 2000.... He will accept productive 
foreign capital.... He will try to join OPEC again and will look for 
technical cooperation in Venezuela. But he will not adopt radical 
measures against foreign companies, as Evo Morales did.  Correa also 
made clear that Ecuador will  not ratify the free trade agreement 
signed with the U.S., whose Congress has not yet ratified it 
either.... And he will not renew with the U.S. the concession of the 
Manta air base.  The Rafael Correa who was elected does not have the 
radical profile of the first round candidate. Let us hope that the 
difficulties he will have to face do not throw him in the 
Havana-Caracas-La Paz axis." 
 
3."The U.S. Wanted To Enlarge The Base" 
 
Political commentator Newton Carlos opined in liberal, largest 
national circulation daily Folha de S. Paulo (11/29): "Ecuadorian 
President elect Rafael Correa said he will not renew the concession 
of the Mantra military base that the U.S. Southern Command is 
currently operating in Ecuador. The concession was made in 1999 
without the necessary Congressional hearing, and the original 
project has been expanded with enlargement of runaways to permit the 
landing of airborne troops. The official idea is to provide support 
to Plan Colombia, fighting drug trafficking, which means unavoidable 
involvement in counter-insurgence operations or of intervention in 
the Colombian civil war.... Those who see Manta as a possible new 
Guantanamo argue that the concession has in practice transformed the 
base into a military enclave. U.S. military in Manta enjoy 
diplomatic immunity, do not pay taxes and bear 'license to kill,' 
according to his most radical opponents. The new Ecuadorian 
president has promised to end all that." 
McMullen