Ecuador Crisis Coverage: Russian Intermission Report

From Ecuador's La Hora newspaper:

Moscú expresa preocupación por crisis política en Ecuador

Moscú--El Ministerio ruso de Asuntos Exteriores expresó hoy, viernes, su "preocupación" por la crisis política en Ecuador y se pronunció a favor de una solución en el marco de la Constitución y el orden en ese país andino.

"Moscú sigue con atención el desarrollo de la situación política en Ecuador que se ha agudizado los últimos días", dice la nota del ministerio difundida a la prensa.

Según el Ministerio ruso, la crisis en Ecuador es grave por las manifestaciones masivas en la capital y otras ciudades del país que llevaron a la destitución de Lucio Gutiérrez como presidente y su reemplazo al frente de la jefatura del Estado por el vicepresidente Alfredo Palacio.

"Expresamos nuestra confianza en que la sociedad ecuatoriana podrá salir de la crisis, evitará la violencia y logrará un compromiso en aras de la estabilización y el desarrollo democrático del país", añade la nota.

EFE

I don't feel like translating this morning, so here is the Freetranslation.com rough translation (with a few obvious errors fixed).

The Russian Department of Exterior Matters expressed today, Friday, its "worry" by the political crisis in Ecuador and was pronounced in favor of a solution in the framework of the Constitution and the order in that Andean country.

"Moscow continues its attention on the development of the political situation in Ecuador that has been intensified in the last days", the note of the department diffused to the press says.

According to the Russian Department, the crisis in Ecuador is serious by the massive demonstrations in the capital and other cities of the country that carried to the dismissal of Gutiérrez as the president and his replacement by the vice president Alfredo Palacio.

"We express our confidence in which the Ecuadorian society will be able to leave the crisis, will avoid the violence and will achieve a commitment for the sake of the stabilization and the democratic development of the country", adds the note.

My question is, why the heck does Russia give a flying monkey dookie about Ecuador's troubles?

I can't locate the article I read on the newswires yesterday, but after SOS Rice returned from her visit to Moscow, there was talk about Russia's new "soft approach" to politics...something about a "department of cultural relations" to "peacefully" and gently deal with Russia's neighbors.

Last time I checked, Ecuador was not a neighbor...unless Putin is stuck in his old Commie Mode and thinks Cuba is still their Caribbean missile silo.

Posted by Kyer at April 22, 2005 12:00 PM