miami – US Army General Laura RichardsonThe commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) visited Ecuador from January 22 to 25 as part of a U.S. delegation led by Special Assistant to the President for the Americas Christopher Dodd, where he met with President Daniel Novoa and other senior Ecuadorian officials. It also included meetings with leaders.
The delegation, which included Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Counternarcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau Christopher Lundberg and other civilian and military officials, will step up Ecuador’s efforts to combat transnational criminal organizations following a recent surge. , focused on strengthening US cooperation and support. With violence.
This was Richardson’s second trip as Southcom commander.
On January 22, the U.S. delegation met with President Noboa and his Cabinet to coordinate and agree on an effective security cooperation strategy. (Details: Summary of the White House’s meeting with President Noboa and the US government’s assistance to Ecuador)
On January 23, Mr. Richardson joined the delegation to meet with law enforcement and justice sector leaders, as well as civil society representatives on the front lines of the fight against corruption.
On January 24, Mr. Richardson met with Defense Minister Giancarlo Loffredo, Joint Chief of Staff Jaime Vera, and military leaders to discuss efforts to strengthen defense cooperation.
On January 25, the general met with men and women serving in the Ecuadorian military during a five-country visit.th infantry Brigade “Guayas” In Guayaquil. While there, Rickardson and the U.S. Ambassador. Michael J. Fitzpatrick also joined Ecuador’s Maj. Gen. Vera as the United States donated security assistance vehicles and equipment to strengthen Ecuador’s law enforcement, military, and disaster response agencies.
Security cooperation between the United States and Ecuador focuses on common objectives and interests, including cooperation and intelligence sharing to combat transnational criminal organizations, bilateral and multinational capacity-building exercises, and humanitarian assistance missions. ing. Other bilateral engagements include the exchange of experiences, conferences and training events on disaster preparedness, cyber defense, space cooperation, maritime security, aviation, human rights, communications and logistics.
The United States is committed to supporting the safety of Ecuador’s people.