The U.S. government has declared persona non grata Ambassador of Ecuador in Washington, Luis Gallegos, in response to the "unjustified" decision to Quito to expel U.S. Ambassador Heather Hodges, as reported by State Department sources. The secretary of state for Latin America, Arturo Valenzuela, has announced today the decision by telephone to Ambassador Gallegos, who must leave the country immediately, the sources said.
The expulsion of Gallegos is a further step in the escalation of tension between the two countries after the government of Rafael Correa decided to declare "persona non grata" Hodges in response to a course Wikileaks cable signed by her and published by El Pais on corruption in the Ecuadorian police.
Now Washington has decided to respond to the same extent. "The unwarranted action of the Government of Ecuador to declare Ambassador Hodges" persona non grata "leaves us no choice but to take reciprocal action. The Ambassador Hodges is one of our diplomatic experience and talent," the sources said.
The State Department noted, however, is "interested is a positive relationship with Ecuador, but the unfortunate and unjustified decision to declare the ambassador persona non grata Hodges will be taken into account in the future." The conflict with Quito in addition to others that the U.S.
has had with Bolivia and Venezuela. All three are members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA), and none of them is Washington ambassador. In 2008 Bolivia expelled the U.S. ambassador to La Paz Philip Goldberg and Venezuela did the same thing day after the head of the U.S.
legation in Caracas, Patrick Duddy. Washington reacted with equal strength and expelled the Bolivian ambassador Gustavo Guzman and Venezuela Bernardo Alvarez. U.S. re-established in 2009, full diplomatic relations with Venezuela, Bolivia but failed to do the same. Caracas after refusing last year to accept Larry Palmer as the new U.S.
ambassador, Washington acts diplomatically in both countries at the level of charge d'affaires. 
The expulsion of Gallegos is a further step in the escalation of tension between the two countries after the government of Rafael Correa decided to declare "persona non grata" Hodges in response to a course Wikileaks cable signed by her and published by El Pais on corruption in the Ecuadorian police.
Now Washington has decided to respond to the same extent. "The unwarranted action of the Government of Ecuador to declare Ambassador Hodges" persona non grata "leaves us no choice but to take reciprocal action. The Ambassador Hodges is one of our diplomatic experience and talent," the sources said.
The State Department noted, however, is "interested is a positive relationship with Ecuador, but the unfortunate and unjustified decision to declare the ambassador persona non grata Hodges will be taken into account in the future." The conflict with Quito in addition to others that the U.S.
has had with Bolivia and Venezuela. All three are members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA), and none of them is Washington ambassador. In 2008 Bolivia expelled the U.S. ambassador to La Paz Philip Goldberg and Venezuela did the same thing day after the head of the U.S.
legation in Caracas, Patrick Duddy. Washington reacted with equal strength and expelled the Bolivian ambassador Gustavo Guzman and Venezuela Bernardo Alvarez. U.S. re-established in 2009, full diplomatic relations with Venezuela, Bolivia but failed to do the same. Caracas after refusing last year to accept Larry Palmer as the new U.S.
ambassador, Washington acts diplomatically in both countries at the level of charge d'affaires.
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- Ecuador Asks US Envoy To Leave As Soon As Possible - Wall Street Journal (06/04/2011)
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