During a ceremony this Thursday at Fort Huancavilca, in the city of Guayaquil, the Americans officially handed over six Navistar trucks, engines for boats for security operations, and technology and training equipment.
The package is valued at $2.4 million.
General Richardson emphasized that the delivery was a testament to the alliance to combat transnational criminal organizations that affect both sides.
Top Ecuadorian military commanders, including Admiral Jaime Vela, head of the Armed Forces' Joint Command, received awards from Washington.
The North American country also donated natural disaster response equipment worth $290,000, consisting of two ambulances, two trucks and two pallet trucks, to the Risk Management Secretariat through the US Embassy's Security Cooperation Office.
Richardson is visiting Ecuadorian territory as part of a delegation of senior US officials in connection with the internal armed conflict ordered by President Daniel Noboa, which has raised concerns about the northern country's true intentions.
This Wednesday, the head of the Southern Command explained that Washington has a five-year security plan for Ecuador and will invest $93.4 million in this sector.
He specified that a total of 124 activities are planned in Ecuador for fiscal year 2024, announced that a C-130 aircraft will be delivered on February 23 and announced that “other things are in the works to increase transmission to accelerate”. military equipment.” .
Several analysts warned that the security crisis Ecuador is currently experiencing and the official narrative that the country is at war on drug trafficking would represent an opportunity for Washington to increase its presence.
The Constitutional Court of Ecuador gave the green light the previous day to two agreements signed by former President Guillermo Lasso (2021-2023) with the United States to authorize, among other privileges, the presence of North American civilian and military personnel on the national territory.
rgh/avr