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	SOUTHCOM Commander Meets with President, Defense Leaders During Visit to Ecuador
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        <h1 class="title">SOUTHCOM Commander Meets with President, Defense Leaders During Visit to Ecuador</h1>
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                 alt="U.S. Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Daniel Hokanson, meet with Ecuador's Minister of Defense Gen. Luis Eduardo Lara."
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            <div class="image-title">Gen. Richardson meets with leaders in Ecuador</div>
            <div class="image-caption">QUITO, Ecuador (Sept. 14, 2022) -- U.S. Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Daniel Hokanson, meet with Ecuador's Minister of Defense Gen. Luis Eduardo Lara to discuss the U.S.- Ecuador defense partnership. Richardson joined defense leaders from 10 nations to discuss security challenges and regional cooperation during South American Defense Conference 2022 (SOUTHDEC 22), hosted by Ecuador Sept. 14-15, 2022. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Stephen Caruso, U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs)</div>
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                 alt="U.S. Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command  meets with Ecuador's Minister of Defense Gen. Luis Eduardo Lara."
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            <div class="image-title">Gen. Richardson meets with leaders in Ecuador</div>
            <div class="image-caption">QUITO, Ecuador (Sept. 14, 2022) -- U.S. Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command  meets with Ecuador's Minister of Defense Gen. Luis Eduardo Lara to discuss the U.S.- Ecuador defense partnership. Richardson joined defense leaders from 10 nations to discuss security challenges and regional cooperation during South American Defense Conference 2022 (SOUTHDEC 22), hosted by Ecuador Sept. 14-15, 2022. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Stephen Caruso, U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs)</div>
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                 alt="U.S. Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Daniel Hokanson, meet with Gen. Nelson Proaño."
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            <div class="image-title">Gen. Richardson meets with leaders in Ecuador</div>
            <div class="image-caption">QUITO, Ecuador (Sept. 14, 2022) -- U.S. Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Daniel Hokanson, meet with Gen. Nelson Proaño, the commander of Ecuador’s armed forces, and senior defense leaders. Richardson joined defense leaders from 10 nations to discuss security challenges and regional cooperation during South American Defense Conference 2022 (SOUTHDEC 22), hosted by Ecuador Sept. 14-15, 2022. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Stephen Caruso, U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs)</div>
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                 alt="U.S. Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, meets with Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso in Quito for discussions on strengthening security cooperation."
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            <div class="image-title">Gen. Richardson meets with leaders in Ecuador</div>
            <div class="image-caption">QUITO, Ecuador (Sept. 14, 2022) -- U.S. Army Gen. Laura J. Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, meets with Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso in Quito for discussions on strengthening security cooperation. Richardson joined defense leaders from 10 nations to discuss security challenges and regional cooperation during South American Defense Conference 2022 (SOUTHDEC 22), hosted by Ecuador Sept. 14-15, 2022. (Photo by Senior Master Sgt. Stephen Caruso, U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs)</div>
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    <div><b>By U.S. Southern Command Public Affairs</b> <span class="date">/ Published Sept. 19, 2022</span></div>
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    <p>QUITO, Ecuador (Sept. 16, 2022) -- U.S. Army Gen. Laura Richardson, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, met with Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso and senior Ecuadorian defense leaders to discuss continued bilateral cooperation during a visit to Ecuador this week.</p>

<p>Richardson visited Ecuador Sept. 12 – 16 to join defense leaders from 10 nations for the South American Defense Conference 2022 (SOUTHDEC 22). Ecuador served as the host country of SOUTHDEC 22. The U.S. delegation also included the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, Gen. Daniel Hokanson.</p>

<p>Prior to SOUTHDEC 22, Richardson spent time meeting with Ecuadorian leaders on Sept. 13.</p>

<p>In Quito, she met with President Lasso to discuss strengthening security cooperation and regional security.</p>

<p>Later, Richardson and Hokanson met with Gen. <span data-ccp-parastyle="Plain Text">Nelson </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="Plain Text">Proaño</span>, the commander of Ecuador’s armed forces, and senior defense leaders in Quito. Discussions focused on regional security and <span data-ccp-parastyle="Plain Text">military-to-military cooperation.</span></p>

<p>Richardson and Hokanson also met with Ecuador's Minister of Defense, Gen. Luis Eduardo Lara. The leaders reaffirmed commitment to the U.S.- Ecuador defense partnership and discussed efforts to bolster cooperation.</p>

<p>Following SOUTHDEC, Richardson visited the Ecuador military’s <span data-ccp-parastyle="Plain Text">19th Jungle Brigade in El Coca to meet with Ecuadorian service members and get a firsthand look at how the unit </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="Plain Text">counter</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="Plain Text">s</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="Plain Text"> threats, including illicit trafficking</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="Plain Text">,</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="Plain Text"> on the northern border.</span></p>

<p>The U.S. and Ecuadorian armed forces enjoy a long history of security cooperation focused on topics of mutual interest; including air and maritime security; global peacekeeping; illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; transnational organized crime; humanitarian assistance; and human rights.</p>
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