The Ambassador says that this donation is a symbol of support from the French Government “for the peace, stability, justice and freedom of the Ecuadorian people.”
Equipment donated by France to Ecuador on January 30, 2024.
The French Government delivered this Tuesday, January 30, 2024, a boat and diving equipment to support Ecuador in the fight against drug trafficking, the National Police reported in a statement.
The Sillinger 525 Proraid semi-rigid boat with a 100-horsepower engine is valued at USD 54,000, and the five complete diving equipment is valued at around USD 35,000, according to the institution.
The delivery took place at the facilities of the Modelo barracks in Guayaquil, one of the cities most affected by violence in the country.
Fréderic Desagneaux, French ambassador to Ecuador, and Bertrand Mathieu, Police Attaché of the French Embassy in Ecuador, participated in the formal ceremony.
On behalf of Ecuador, the acting Minister of Government and the Interior, Mónica Palencia, and the General Commander of the Police, César Zapata, attended.
Desagneaux said that the donation is a symbol of the commitment and contribution of the French Government “to the peace, stability, justice and freedom of the Ecuadorian people.”
Zapata asserted that “these teams represent the firmness and resistance of the National Police to navigate towards a future, in which the waters of Ecuador are free from the shadow of drug trafficking.”
Minister Palencia emphasized the importance of the continuation of joint operations between France and Ecuador against transnational crime, and extended gratitude to the National Police for the work carried out in the fight against terrorist organizations.
Since January 9, 2024, the Government declared Ecuador under “internal armed attack” to confront criminal groups and a state of exception is in effect for 60 days, which includes a focused curfew.
