Ecuador, most other Latin American countries condemn U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

Ecuador voted with the majority of United Nations General Assembly members Thursday in condemning the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The United Nations General Assembly

Although several Latin American countries abstained from the vote, only Guatemala and Honduras joined six other UN members in supporting the U.S.

Despite its defeat in the assembly, U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley said she did not expect lasting damage from the defeat. “We will continue to pursue our objectives as we see fit and will not bow to outside pressures,” she said. “We understand that other countries have other views on this issue.”

Earlier in the week, she had threatened to “take names and take note” of countries not supporting the U.S. position on Jerusalem.

U.S. President had been more blunt, saying the U.S. would consider ending aid to countries that voted against the U.S. Ecuador receives no aid from Washington.

Prior to the UN vote, Ecuador’s foreign affairs office issued a statement saying that now is not the time to support a move to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The city continues to be a religiously and politically contested area and this move can only make relations worse between countries and people in the region,” the ministry statement said.

The Latin American countries that abstained from voting were Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Haiti, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and the Dominican Republic. In all, 35 members of the General Assembly abstained in the condemnation vote.