Blinken’s Visit to Ecuador, Colombia Will Focus on Democracy ‘Challenges’
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Ecuador and Colombia next week to discuss democratic governance and socio-political challenges facing the region.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Ecuador and Colombia over the next week to discuss democratic governance, counternarcotics cooperation, and opportunities for trade and investment.
His trip begins in Quito, Ecuador on Oct. 19, where he will meet with President Guillermo Lasso and Foreign Minister Mauricio Montalvo. There, Blinken will give a speech on “the challenges facing democracies in the region.”
Lasso landed a surprising election victory this year, as Ecuador’s first right-wing president in 14 years. The talks around democracy come as Lasso is being investigated by Ecuador’s legislature over the recent Pandora Papers leaks. The reports revealed he controlled 14 offshore companies, despite the passage of a law in 2017 that prohibits candidates and public officials from having their resources or assets in tax havens.
Next Blinken will go to Bogota, Colombia, to meet with President Ivan Duque Marquez and Vice President-Foreign Minister Marta Lucía Ramírez. There he will co-lead a meeting to address supporting “safe, orderly, and humane migration policies.” His agenda also includes discussions around supporting “sustainable peace and reconciliation,” human rights, and addressing the climate crisis.
A long-standing U.S. ally, Colombia has been under criticism by human rights organizations over the government’s heavy-handed response to widespread public protests that began in April 2021 against corruption, increased taxes, and health care policies.
Blinken is traveling to the South American nation amid recent reports at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota of the “Havana Syndrome.” The mysterious illness has been attributed to headaches, and, in some cases, brain damage at U.S. posts around the world.
It will be Blinken’s third visit to Latin America since the Biden administration took office in January, with previous trips to Mexico and Costa Rica.
