There are many areas in which Israel can assist Ecuador, President Guillermo Lasso, who last week became the first incumbent president of his country to visit the Jewish state told Israel Hayom.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Ecuador has always maintained good ties with Israel and was one of the 33 UN member-states that voted in favor of the Partition Plan in 1947, paving the way for the Jewish state's inception the following year.
Lasso arrived in Israel on Wednesday with First Lady Maria de Lourdes Alcivar and a delegation numbering 100 government officials, businesspeople, and entrepreneurs. Some 50 members of the delegation, who specialize in innovation, are slated to remain in Israel for two weeks, during which they will visit Israeli universities and explore possible ventures.
The historic visit also saw Lasso announce on Thursday that Ecuador will change its voting policy in the UN and will show its support for Israel in the international body as well.
"This visit is historic first of all because it is the first time that the president of Ecuador has come to Israel in its 74 years, and second, it symbolizes a 'before and after,'" he said.
"We are looking to forge closer ties with Israel in several areas," Lasso explained. "One of them is trade and investment -- we want to invite the investors' community to explore [oppertunities in] Ecuador.
"This visit also symbolizes the beginning of talk towards establishing a free trade agreement between Ecuador and Israel.
"This rapprochement also includes common values and principles shared by our government and the State of Israel in the context of democracy, peace, prosperity, and opportunities for our people."
Lasso, the 47th president of Ecuador, took office in May 2021. He is the country's first Center-Right president in nearly two decades, marking a noted shift in the country's electorate.
Asked whether he will face criticism at home over the rapprochement with Israel, he said, "Can you imagine being worried about such criticism? I've been in office for a year and they even criticized the way I dress. We know how to deal with it."
Ecuador's economy is the eighth largest in Latin America and the 69th largest in the world by total gross domestic product. Economic growth in the country has slowed from 2017 through 2019, contracted in 2020, and began showing signs of recovery in 2021.
"Getting an economy with a 7% deficit is something really serious," Lasso said about the economic challenge he faced after taking office. "We lowered the deficit to 3.6% in 2021 and we expect to it to decrease to 2% this year.
"Our economy has shown total transparency and this has allowed the International Monetary Fund team to announce a $1 billion agreement with Ecuador, in addition to $3 billion from other international organizations, including the World Bank, Japan, and France.
"In addition, we found an economy with a growth forecast of 2% and within seven months we were able to increase that to 4.2% - this was a change that gave us something much more positive and allowed us to create 350,000 jobs, get 750,000 residents out of poverty and see a 4.3% growth -- projected to be the fourth fastest-growing economy in 2022."
These projections are one of the forces driving Ecuador to seek deals with Israel, renowned for its economic stability and revered globally as the startup nation.
Lasso noted that while a 48-hour visit was too short to sign the specific deal or discuss those in the works for strategic reasons, "Israel can also be an important for Ecuador on another front: in the fight against international gangs, illegal drug trade, human trafficking, and arms trade. I think the experience that Israel has developed in technology, equipment, and training can be very useful in Ecuador.
"What I can tell you is that we have found open doors so that Israel can cooperate with Ecuador."
Fifteen years ago, he explained, "Ecuador was a transit country for drugs. Unfortunately, today it is not just that but also a country plagued by drug use and that worries us very much.
"We have chosen to deal with this problem -- from which countries like Colombia and Mexico also suffer -- and we need to show the country that these are not 'ordinary' crimes; that we must unite as a society to deal with this enemy."
Q: How do you do that?
"The first step is acknowledging reality, followed by outlining a strategic plan to bolster security forces, so they can deal with these threats. I was born in [the port city of] Guayaquil. Today it's the most violent city in Ecuador. There are other violent areas, like the south, where port cities are used by those who send drugs to the US and Europe.
"We have declared a state of emergency as well as martial law in the most violent areas with one goal: to moderate and then lower the rate of violence.
"Israel can help Ecuador a lot and I have no doubt it will, but let's not go into details because I could not reveal a combat strategy before we are properly prepared for it," Lasso said.
Q: What can Israel expect from Ecuador in terms of international organizations?
"The State of Israel can expect from Ecuador what one can be expected from a good friend who is looking for rapprochement. When it comes to the first visit by an Ecuadorian president, it shows our government's desire to become closer to Israel."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
