A delegation of senior US officials will visit Ecuador to "confront" armed groups

MADRID, 12 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The United States Government announced this Thursday that in the "coming weeks" a delegation of senior US officials will visit Ecuador to "explore with their Ecuadorian counterparts ways" to "confront the threat posed by transnational criminal organizations."

"We reaffirm our commitment to maintaining close collaboration with Ecuador, including in the fight against criminal organizations. We will work with President (of Ecuador, Daniel) Noboa to deepen our cooperation in law enforcement through assistance programs security of the United States," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller explained in a statement.

The undersecretary of the International Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement, Todd Robinson, will travel to Ecuador; the deputy assistant secretary of the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Kevin Sullivan; and the commander of the United States Southern Command, General Laura Richardson.

Additionally, U.S. law enforcement officials will travel to assist Ecuador in criminal investigations, in a meeting that will "increase" intelligence sharing, cooperation to combat malicious cyber activity and assistance with the implementation of prison reforms. .

Miller has condemned the attacks by armed groups in the Latin American country and has denounced that since January 9, "Ecuador has experienced atrocious levels of violence and terrorism at the hands of narco-criminal elements that target innocent civilians." He has also recalled that more than a hundred penitentiary officials are held hostage in various prisons in the country.

Ecuador is immersed in the midst of a renewed spiral of violence and insecurity after the escape of the leader of Los Choneros, Adolfo Macías, alias 'Fito'. After the Government declared a state of emergency following this escape, chaos ensued in the country, and Noboa declared the existence of an internal armed conflict.