ECUADOR ON U.S. CANDIDACY FOR WHO EXECUTIVE BOARD

CONFIDENTIAL C O N F I D E N T I A L QUITO 000971 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/11/17 TAGS: AORC, PREL, TBIO, EAID, WHO, EC SUBJECT: Ecuador on U.S. Candidacy for WHO Executive Board REF: STATE 117699 CLASSIFIED BY: Andrew Chritton, Charge d'Affaires; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 1. (C) PolOff delivered reftel points to MFA Multilateral Affairs Director General Lourdes Puma on November 16. Puma said that Ecuador understood the importance of the USG's leadership and contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Puma said that Ecuador would likely support the U.S., Cuban and Ecuadorian candidacies, and also hoped for a consensus slate to avoid the issue coming to a vote. Puma lamented that Ecuador often cedes to avoid a conflict in the region, such as last year when Ecuador decided not to submit its candidacy, but asserted that Ecuador would definitely pursue its candidacy this year. She added that Ecuador had the support of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and felt that Cuba would gain the support of Latin American states. CHRITTON