U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged $35 million Saturday to support Ecuador’s aid programs for Venezuelan and Colombian refugees. Meeting in Guayaquil with President Lenin Moreno, Pompeo also said the U.S. would provide assistance to combat drug trafficking and for border security.
“We understand that Ecuador has received thousands of Venezuelans migrants and refugees and the United States is proud to support the country’s efforts in handling the continuing humanitarian crisis,” the U.S. Secretary of State said. He also praised the achievements of Moreno’s government in combating corruption and improving relations with the U.S.
In response, Moreno thanked Pompeo and said the refugee crisis has taxed Ecuador’s resources to the limit. “We are challenged to provide support on many fronts, including food, health care, education, housing,” he said. “We are attempting to help 500,000 Venezuelans and Colombians who are currently in Ecuador.”
According to a press release, Moreno and Pompeo also discussed the extradition of former Ecuadorian officials indicted for corruption and currently living in the U.S. Pompeo agreed to assist in locating the financial assets of those officials in the U.S. and return them to the Ecuadorian government. According to Moreno, much of the money transferred out of the country was the result of corruption.
The two men also discussed expanding trade between the U.S. and Ecuador.
Pompeo’s Ecuador visit is part of a four-nation Latin American tour which concluded Sunday in El Salvador.
$35 million’s not too much to buy a photo opt with the American flag in the background. It’s better than spending the money on a wall to handle the “continuing humanitarian crisis”.
Don’t believe anything the US says. They’ll renig.
It’s cheaper to support them in Ecuador than permanent support in the U.S.
IIRC, 35 million is the amount the US used to donate to “aid” in Ecuador before Correa refused it. There were allegations that the “aid” was merely cover for CIA operations. (shrug) Who cares. Not enough to do anything else.
In any event, the Ecuador score card is now:
Moreno = 35 million US
Correa = 6-7 billion. China
China’s money comes with a hefty repayment plan. Are you knowledgeable on a U.S. repayment requirement?
More than half of Ecuador’s $44 billion dollar debt is to the US. I’m pretty sure they want that paid back.
You are wrong once again Mr Faulkner!!! EC debt is more than that !! FY!
Then you should provide your information to the Minister of Finance.
BTW, talk about missing the point.
you forgot the billions he took from the IMF! And China as well….do some HW.
Did you forget the IMF/World Bank loans or don’t they count in your mind??? And who is it exactly that controls the IMF/World Bank?
How much more money will Ecuador take and become indebted to in backroom obligations in policy and demands??? Thats the Idea isnt it. The borrower is a slave to the lender; even more so to the recipient of charity…now watch….what Ecuador govt will cave to.
The Govt in usa does not do anything for nothing.
Well, they handed over Assange, destroyed UNASUR, allowed US military planes to return, are offering Galapagos as a “natural aircraft carrier” (defense minister’s own words) and are privatizing billions of dollars in infrastructure projects paid for by Ecuadorian taxpayers so that US hedge funds can get risk-free double-digit returns on their idle money. The caving started two years ago. I’m glad people are finally starting to notice.
Jason, I think the same. Trump is hopefully a blessing in disguise as he may bring this to head quicker than anyone else could have and that would have been worse.
im with you…much more even than this!
It’s only just beginning. Return of the Banana Republic.
Doesn’t work that way Lucila..especially between nations. The borrower has the money (and the private parts) of the lender in their back pockets. Look at the US and its people. They owe the world and lenders far more than anyone or any nation has in history. What can banks and other nations do to collect? They often keep lending just to keep their hopes of repayment alive.
But things are happening. Since 2017, foreoign loans and investment in the USA has dropped by hundreds of billions annually and still dropping fast.
It’s great to see this cooperation between the United States and Ecuador.
Nice word “cooperation”…real meaning ” Now you owe us!”
Maybe he can assist in locating the financial assets that Moreno’s INA Investments corporation transferred to a shell company in Delaware.
Mr Trump has already made it clear what he thinks of people with brown skin. It’s obviously a poor decision to trust such a a bigoted man!!
President Trump loves people of every skin color, unlike you. Again you must resort to your strong suit of name calling.
Narcissists are not great candidates for bigots. But Donald HAS correctly deduced that his supporters are and he plays to them and no others. You can see the deep devotion they have for him on this forum.
At the heart of any prejudice is fear. Americans are VERY frightened about the world now. Who can blame them? Or anyone on the planet today. But the Americans have to consider that if their leaders are lying to them and/or history is different than what they have been taught, then there is a deep animosity out there.
On the campaign trail, Trump repeatedly made explicitly racist and
otherwise bigoted remarks, from calling Mexican immigrants criminals and
rapists to proposing a ban on all Muslims entering the US to suggesting
a judge should recuse himself from a case solely because of the judge’s
Mexican heritage.