General Donovan visits Ecuador

U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis L. Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, has completed his third official visit to Ecuador, holding high-level meetings with Ecuadorian Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo Rendon and Gen. Henry Santiago Delgado Salvador, chief of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces. The talks focused on progress in bilateral defense cooperation, including joint efforts to counter narcoterrorism in the Western Hemisphere in support of the America’s Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C).

The two countries underscored a shared commitment to regional security and stability, with a focus on dismantling transnational criminal drug cartels, reducing illegal migration, and limiting foreign geopolitical interference in the hemisphere.

To advance these objectives and build on the joint security declaration signed at the Americas Counter Cartel Conference in March, U.S. Southern Command established Joint Task Force – Western Hemisphere (JTF-WHEM) on August 4 as its action arm in the region.

JTF-WHEM is working with A3C partners, including Ecuador, to defend sovereignty, strengthen regional security, and help ensure the Western Hemisphere remains secure, stable, and prosperous.

Officials emphasized that the enduring U.S.-Ecuador defense partnership supports mutual goals and contributes significantly to regional and hemispheric security.