U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a September 9 visit to Ecuador that the administration would seek $45 million in additional security funding for the country, Reuters reported.
He also announced separate support aimed at drug trafficking, illegal gold mining, gang recruitment and illicit finance. The requested funding should not be treated as money already delivered.
The announcement came as Ecuador’s government deepened security cooperation with Washington while human-rights groups scrutinized the broader U.S. regional anti-drug campaign.