The Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States, Daniel Erickson, described the meeting between his country and the Ecuadorian government as “historic.”
Daniel Erickson, Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States, with President Guillermo Lasso, in Quito, on June 22, 2023.
The Governments of Ecuador and the United States will develop a road map to address defense and security issues, through the signing of a “memorandum of understanding” between the two countries.
This announcement was the result of a meeting that lasted several hours between Ecuadorian authorities, led by President Guillermo Lasso, and US representatives.
The meeting was held on June 22 at the Carondelet Palace in Quito, and was attended by the Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Daniel Erickson.
Erickson called the day “a historic day” since the first bilateral defense task force between these nations was also formed.
“It is of great importance because the two countries can discuss important defense issues to solve the security problems of the region,” the official said.
On the other hand, the Minister of Defense, Luis Lara, said that the memorandum that will be signed will allow the cooperation of the United States in terms of security in Ecuador.
Other issues discussed at the meeting were the modernization of Ecuador’s defense forces, the economic impact of security in the country, and the eventual repercussions of the El Niño climate phenomenon.
The meeting in Carondelet was held one day after a meeting in Quito on drug trafficking and security, in which Erickson also participated and where Ecuador proposed the signing of the memorandum.
