The meeting comes at a time of threats against democracy in the region, the advance of drug trafficking and growing Chinese influence.
President Joe Biden received this Monday at the White House his Ecuadorian counterpart, the conservative Guillermo Lasso, to strengthen the strategic alliance between the United States and Ecuador, at a time of threats against democracy in the region, the advance of drug trafficking, and growing Chinese influence.
It is the second time that the heads of state have a bilateral meeting. They had seen each other in April of this year in the framework of the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, but this time Biden invited him to the White House, a formality that is interpreted as a gesture of trust and support from the United States for the visitor.
The American also offered Lula to come to Washington after the Brazilian takes over in January. Meanwhile, the postponed meeting with Alberto Fernández (due to Biden’s covid) has no space on the Democrat’s agenda today.
Biden thus gave a strong signal to Lasso, a former banker and conservative businessman. USA look for a reference in the regionafter the departure of Ivan Duque from the Colombian presidency and in the presence today of several center-left governments.
key agreement
But the endorsement of Lasso does not come only from the White House: Congress approved last week the Association Act between the United States and Ecuadorthe first time in history that legislation dedicated exclusively to the relationship between the two countries is approved to increase bilateral cooperation on trade issues and deepen security, democracy, human rights and environmental protection.
To the White House and Congress the advance of China in that country is concerned (Lasso is about to sign a trade agreement with the Asian giant) and in the region. That is why they seek to expedite exchange and mutual investment.
The presidents talked about security, economy and migration. And also of the importance of democratic institutions, when neighboring Peru faces a strong crisis that does not stop, and which included a self-coup, the arrest of President Pedro Castillo and a wave of violence in the streets.
Lasso presented his concern for security to Biden: “We had the opportunity to talk with him about the situation of violence that our country is experiencing due to drug trafficking, organized crime and transnational criminal groups. We talked about those issues for an hour with President Biden. It was a very close, very friendly and respectful meeting,” he said.
The Peru case
“We have talked about migration and migration as a consequence of the economic problems of many Latin American countries. We have ratified our commitment to continue supporting, as we have done, the migratory phenomenon, especially (migrants) from Venezuela in Ecuador,” he added.
Later, in a presentation before the Permanent Council of the OAS, Lasso expanded on the protection of democracy and lashed out at the former president of Peru Pedro Castillo, whom he accused of having violated the constitutional order with his self-coupwhile countries like Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Bolivia have expressed themselves in favor of Castillo.
The Ecuadorian president “deeply regretted the disturbances” in Peru after the dismissal of Castillo, but remarked that “the measure of then President Castillo to dissolve the Congress of the Republic, one of the fundamental institutions of democracy, violated the constitutional order of his country”.
Also, Lasso came out in defense of the OAS, an organization highly questioned by Mexico and Argentina. “Attempting to downplay the relevance of the OAS it is already risky, but considering extinguishing it makes no sense,” he said.
PB