The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, received in Quito on Tuesday the head of the Southern Command of the United States Armed Forces, General Laura Richardson, to discuss security issues of interest to both countries.
The head of the Military House, General Luis Vásconez, was in charge of welcoming General Richardson to the Government Palace on Tuesday morning. Minutes later, the official met privately with the Ecuadorian president, with whom she discussed – in a reserved manner – issues related to collaboration in security matters.
Richardson, a veteran Army pilot and four-star general, is the first woman to be by the Southern Commandwhich has as part of its responsibility the planning of operations and cooperation in South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The US delegation also includes General Daniel Hokanson, chief of the US National Guard bureau, and other senior officials and representatives, including Ambassador Jean Manes, civilian deputy chief of the Southern Command; General Julie Nethercot, Director of Strategy, Policy and Plans for the Southern Command; and General David Mounkes, deputy deputy chief of the Kentucky National Guard, responsible for cooperation with Ecuador through the Strategic Partnership Program (SPP).
According to the government of President Lasso, it is “the highest US military delegation that has visited Ecuador.”
The visitors were accompanied by the US ambassador, Michael Fitzpatrick, who is completing his final stage at the head of the diplomatic mission in this country.
“We advanced our joint collaboration to defeat cross-border threats that undermine citizen security through regional collaboration, in our meeting today between General Richardson and President Lasso,” the official said.
General Richardson’s agenda on Tuesday included meetings with the high command of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Juan Carlos Holguín; the National Secretary of Security, Diego Ordóñez; Defense Minister Luis Lara; and, the Minister of the Interior, Patricio Carrillo. For this Wednesday, the official is expected to participate in the inauguration of the South American Defense Council, in which other high-ranking officials from countries in the region will be present.
General Richardson’s visit to Ecuadorian territory occurs as part of a tour that previously took her to Colombia and Brazil, where she also discussed issues related to security cooperation.
In recent months, Ecuador has experienced a growth in the numbers of violence on the streets and in prisons, associated with a greater presence of organized crime.
The government announced on Monday morning the holding of a popular consultation, in which it intends to address, among other issues, that of insecurity.
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