US expels Ecuador ambassador in tit-for-tat move

[Zorro]

Source: AFP

The United States on Thursday ordered the expulsion of Ecuador's ambassador to Washington in a tit-for-tat move after the US envoy to Quito was told to leave over a leaked diplomatic cable.

Ambassador Luis Gallegos was summoned to the State Department, which declared him persona non grata and asked him to leave the United States as soon as possible, State Department spokesman Charles Luoma-Overstreet told AFP.

Ecuador on Tuesday ordered US Ambassador Heather Hodges out of the country in a row over a leaked diplomatic cable that quoted her as saying President Rafael Correa knowingly appointed a corrupt chief of police.

"The unjustified action of the Ecuadorian government in declaring Ambassador Hodges persona non grata left us no other option than this reciprocal action," Luoma-Overstreet said in an email.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110407/pl_afp/usecuadordiplomacywikileaks_20110407213952

[bemildred]

1. Fools never learn. nt

[Peace Patriot]

2. Here are some discussions in the Latin American Forum about this incident

and a prior incident of U.S. insulting Ecuador and U.S. officials getting thrown out...

Current incident:
Ecuador tells Hil's ambassador bye bye
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x50486
Correa's "lurch to the left" (U.S. Amb. Heather Hodges) (re Wikeleaks cable)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x50526
Obama kicks out Ecuadoran ambassador (latest thread)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x50537

(Re the above: Basically U.S. Amb. Hodges accused Correa of knowingly appointing a corrupt police chief, in a Wikileaks cable. The police chief in question, Hurtado, was in charge of cleaning the U.S. agents out of the Ecuadoran police, after the 2010 police riot against Correa.)

Background incident: (2009)
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa expels US official Armando Astorga
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x11416

(Re the above: Astorga was using U.S. "war on drugs" aid money to infiltrate and control the Ecuadoran police.)

Deeper background: In March 2008, the U.S./Colombia dropped 500 lbs U.S. "smart bombs" on a FARC guerilla camp just inside Ecuador's border, killing an Ecuador citizen and 24 other sleeping people, without notifying or getting permission from Ecuador's government. (It was a FARC hostage release and peace negotiation camp.) This almost started a war between the U.S./Colombia and Venezuela/Ecuador. Subsequently, in a Rumsfeldian-like "Office of Special Plans" operation, Colombia began releasing alleged contents of a FARC laptop computer that allegedly survived the 500 lb "smart bombs" (known as the "miracle laptop"), making wild charges against Correa and Venezuela's Chavez (that they were helping the FARC get a "dirty" bomb, etc.)

Subsequently, Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, investigated and purged the Ecuadoran military of U.S./Colombia operatives.

The 2009 flap about US official Astorga involved US infiltration and control of Ecuador's police, using the U.S. "war on drugs" as a ruse. (The U.S. commonly uses the DEA to supplement the work of the CIA, the USAID, the U.S. embassy, the Pentagon and others, to undermine and topple leftist governments in Latin America. A similar flap occurred in Bolivia in Sept 2008, with President Evo Morales throwing the DEA out of Bolivia, as well as the U.S. ambassador, who were colluding with rich white separatists in a violent insurrection.)

In Oct. 2010, some police and some military in Ecuador rioted over what now look like concocted grievances, and assaulted and tried to kidnap the president (Correa). This was very likely a rightwing opposition plot. (The rightwing in Latin America is funded by the USAID, an arm of the CIA.) Here's one DU Latin American Forum thread on this topic
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=405x42754

To sum up, the U.S. has been MEDDLING in Latin America and the U.S. meddling has NOT stopped with the Obama administration. US Amb. Hodges (a Bushwhack appointee) was likely continuing with the skulduggery against Correa (whether with Obama/Clinton's approval or by their inattention, we can't know for sure, but probably the former--deliberately leaving a Bushwhacko in charge of the embassy in Ecuador; they've done that in Colombia and Honduras).

It is NOT likely that Correa would throw the U.S. Amb. out over a Wikileaks cable. This is an optional thing for a targeted government. They can "forgive and forget," if they want to (and the U.S. can facilitate forgiveness, if they want to). Something about this cable's contents REALLY pissed Correa off and it was probably the connection to the police riot (an attempted overthrow of Correa). Also, the cables reveal that Hodges had secret documents about Ecuador's national security. The cables are thus indicative of something else (continued meddling and plotting).

As Rafael Correa has said (reported by rabs in the DU LatinAm Forum), regarding throwing Hodges out of the country and the new political atmosphere in Latin Amerca: "We don't have to submit."

It's a new day in Latin America.


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Edited to add "Obama kicks out Ecuadoran ambassador (latest thread)" to the first list, above.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Thanks for posting these links. Information really counts, yet we get so precious little of it! n/t

[Rage for Order]

4. Good. n/t

[underpants]

5. This is bad - they control the Equator

:scared:

[Lionel Mandrake]

6. If I can't play at your house, you can't play at mine.

So there!

[marasinghe]

7. sure. Ecuador must be devastated by this setback.

maybe they'll put up an apology on their official faceBook page, now they don't have a diplomatic channel to convey their regrets on.

[rabs]

8. Apologize for what exactly?

That the U.S. ambassador appointed by dubya was exposed about having classified, internal documents about the Ecuadoran police??

[marasinghe]

9. ;P

:P

[Judi Lynn]

10. Truly slimy behavior for an ambassador, very low, underhanded.

Just imagine how that would go over if the case were reversed.

Can't believe anyone would not grasp the elements of this situation.