USA Ambassador is Declared “Unwelcome Person” due To a Wikileaks Cable

Through a press conference held by Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño, the Ecuadorian government, asked its counterpart of the U.S., Heather Hodges, to retire from her office in Quito because and declared her an “Unwelcome Person.”

The decision to withdraw her from her charge came after a secret cable from Wikileaks was delivered to the Spanish newspaper El Pais. The cable reveled that before Rafael Correa designated Jaime Hurtado Korea as Head of the Police General Command, in April 2008, the Ecuadorian president was already full of knowledge about the corruption acts committed by Hurtado.

In the document signed by Hodges, current U.S. ambassador in Ecuador, says Hurtado corruption were widely known among the high command of the National Police so that some embassy officials believe that President Correa should be aware of that when he was appointed. Observers believe that Correa wanted a leader who could easily manipulate.

The cable revealed that General Hurtado had been part of the largest business Bolivar Villota, who was arrested in 2007 for processing licenses and fees in exchange for bribes.

In this regard the document says that “Jaime Hurtado Vaca used his position as Commander and his personal influence to extort money and property, embezzling public funds, facilitating the trafficking and obstructing the investigation and prosecution of corrupt colleagues.”

Source: Teleamazonas TV Network/ Ecuavisa TV Network