“Solutions Hinge on Political Will, Not a State’s Wealth,” Guillermo Lasso.
His Excellency Guillermo Lasso Mendoza, Constitutional President of Ecuador, delivered an address during the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 20, 2023. In his speech, President Lasso articulated Ecuador’s dedication to the core principles of the United Nations, including peace, diplomatic conflict resolution, and the protection of freedoms and human rights.
During this intervention, President Lasso outlined Ecuador’s approach to addressing pressing global challenges, encompassing climate change, chronic childhood malnutrition, and urgent security threats. Under his leadership, Ecuador initiated a historic policy of ecological transition aimed at preserving its natural heritage. Concurrently, the country undertook substantial measures to shift from unsustainable production systems to a low-emissions circular economy.
In January 2022, Ecuador expanded the protection of the Galapagos Islands by creating the “Hermandad” marine reserve spanning 60,000 square kilometers—an unprecedented milestone in preserving the nation’s exceptional biodiversity.
“Since the beginning of my government, we implemented a historic ecological transition policy that preserves our natural heritage. In January 2022, we expanded the protection of the Galapagos Islands with the creation of the 60 thousand square kilometers “Hermandad” marine reserve. This decision means the greatest advance in the history of my country towards the preservation of our incomparable biodiversity,” Guillermo Lasso.
Additionally, in collaboration with Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama, Ecuador bolstered the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor, establishing the world’s largest cross-border reserve, covering 500,000 square kilometers and safeguarding countless unique species along migratory routes.
“With the sister nations of Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama, together, we created the largest cross-border reserve in the world, protecting 500 thousand square kilometers where countless and unique species that use these migratory routes live. We did it for our people and for the world,” Guillermo Lasso.
President Lasso emphasized his government’s ability to balance environmental conservation with sound economic policies. Ecuador pioneered an innovative debt-for-conservation swap initiative that redirected resources towards Galapagos protection, amounting to $1.63 billion—the largest operation of its kind in history. Out of this sum, $450 million was allocated to the Galapagos Life Fund, reinforcing marine ecosystem preservation.
Addressing environmental concerns, President Lasso expressed apprehension about the looming El Niño phenomenon, which could result in devastating floods in Ecuador and the region. Ecuador prioritized prevention and sought financing alternatives through international organizations to mitigate these risks, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in achieving Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring a sustainable future for all.
However, President Lasso acknowledged that their concerns extended beyond environmental matters. Ecuador was committed to improving the quality of life for the most vulnerable sectors of society, particularly children.
To combat chronic childhood malnutrition, the government launched the successful “Ecuador Grows without Child Malnutrition” program, reducing malnutrition rates in children under two years by 3.5% in just 28 months.
This program strategically combined healthcare support, healthcare facility enhancement, and community involvement, resulting in over 20,000 malnutrition-free children, with an investment of $650 million over 28 months.
“Given the alarming figures of chronic child malnutrition that we found, we implemented the successful program “Ecuador Grows without Child Malnutrition,” through which, in just 28 months, we reduced the rate of malnutrition in children under 2 years of age by 3.5%, going from an indicator of 23.6% to 20.1%.
We implemented this public policy strategically so that, while caring for pregnant women and children in their first thousand days of life with medicines and vitamins, we readapted and equipped health centers; we hired more doctors specializing in family medicine, obstetricians, nurses; and 50,000 community guards went into the neighborhoods to detect cases of malnutrition in a timely manner. Thanks to this action, more than 20 thousand boys and girls under two years of age are free of chronic malnutrition. All, with an investment of 650 million dollars in 28 months of government,” Guillermo Lasso.
President Lasso stressed that addressing these issues depends on the political will of leaders. Despite facing economic challenges, Ecuador prioritized social investments because true growth and development required such investments in their youth.
Ecuador also aimed to promote safe and responsible migration, recognizing that it played various roles as a country of origin, destination, transit, return, and refuge. The government implemented a comprehensive approach, including a registration process for foreign residents, particularly Venezuelan citizens, offering humanitarian visas to regularize their stay and access essential services.
“We launched the permanence registration process for foreigners who reside in our country regardless of their immigration status, reaching the number of 201,711 registered citizens. Most of them are Venezuelan citizens. Our arms have been extended to protect this population that asks us for shelter. With or without documents, children enter our schools, they are all treated in public hospitals. However, the open-door policy requires the valuable support of the international community. Our action has been coherent, supportive, and we humbly ask for reciprocity,” Guillermo Lasso.
After 31 years, Ecuador rejoined the Council of Security in a world facing complex challenges, including the aftermath of the pandemic, war conflicts, radicalization, and violent extremism. During its nine months of membership, Ecuador prioritized peaceful conflict resolution, the protection of civilians, the women, peace, and security agenda, and combating illegal arms trafficking. President Lasso reiterated his demand for the end of military aggression in Ukraine and called for a return to the Black Sea Grains Initiative.
President Lasso concluded by addressing the growing threat of transnational organized crime, particularly drug trafficking, and its pervasive impact on public life. Ecuador had seized over 500 tons of drugs in just two years, earning recognition from the United Nations. He cited the assassination of a presidential candidate as an example of the grave dangers posed by organized crime and its links to political networks.
“A few weeks ago, Ecuador experienced an unprecedented event in its history: The assassination of a presidential candidate. I am referring to Fernando Villavicencio, a lucid and brave Ecuadorian who frontally denounced the operations of the organized crime and its links with political mafias,” Guillermo Lasso.
Transnational organized crime was a global issue affecting countries worldwide, including drug and weapons trafficking, human trafficking, forced migration, and illegal mining. President Lasso called for united efforts to combat this menace and emphasized the need for enduring, robust mechanisms to dismantle criminal organizations and their sponsors.
In closing, President Lasso reaffirmed Ecuador’s unwavering commitment to collaborating with the international community in addressing these critical challenges.
Guillermo Lasso’s speech at the UN.
Soledad Quartucci | CEO/Founder, Latina Republic
Latina Republic is dedicated to promoting regional understanding through compelling narratives, articles, interviews, and reports that emanate from the heart of the Americas. Our foremost goal is to facilitate constructive dialogue by illuminating local viewpoints frequently overshadowed by mainstream media. Our mission is to equip all stakeholders with essential insights for addressing regional issues, thus empowering them in their efforts. We are committed to portraying the victories and hardships of everyday life in Latin America, while also chronicling the progression of social movements and amplifying the voices of those at the forefront of change.
