How Ecuador ended up giving in to Russian pressure and canceled the delivery of Soviet weapons to the USA.

Ecuador backed down and confirmed this week that it will not deliver military weapons of Soviet origin to U.S to be used by Ukraine in the war against Russia. This despite the fact that in January the president Daniel Noboa announced its plan to exchange war material considered “scrap” in exchange for more modern American military equipment, worth 200 million dollars.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility of Ecuador, Gabriela Sommerfeldwas tasked with informing Congress on Monday that her country “will not send war material to any country facing an international armed conflict.”

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“Ecuador is part of the United Nations Security Council and as a member we promote the resolution of conflicts, always respecting international law and the peaceful resolution of these controversies”, said the chancellor.

The South American country thus gave in to the economic sanctions of the Russiawhat in reprisal banned the import of Ecuadorian bananas from five exporting companies, citing the presence of an insect.

In this note we tell how this story began, the reaction of Russia and what will happen to the Soviet weapons it possesses Ecuadormost of them acquired from Nicaragua in 1994, for the Cenepa’s War against Peru.

President Daniel Noboa participates in a ceremony handing over equipment to the National Police of Ecuador on the outskirts of Quito, on January 22, 2024. (AFP). (FLYER/)

On January 10th, President Noboa confirmed that his country accepted the United States’ offer to exchange old Soviet military equipment for new generation American weapons with an estimated value of 200 million dollars. Washington said that the final destination of the weapons exchanged with Quito will be Ukraine, a country that has been at war with Russia since February 2022.

Among the material that would be delivered U.S there were six MI type helicopters and systems long range rocket launcher it’s from anti-aircraft defenseaccording to Ecuadorian media.

Noboa approached the United States after the past January 9 would declare that in Ecuador There is a internal armed conflict and ordered the Army to restore order to the country’s streets.

When he confirmed the delivery of weapons of Soviet origin to the United States, Noboa He said these were scrap.

“We verified that it is rubbish and, within the scope of international agreements, war material cannot be transported, but scrap like that,” he said. Noboawho then guaranteed that his country would not cut ties with Russia.

More in Russiaspokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharovaresponded immediately to Noboa and described his decision as “thoughtless”.

“Our partners are fully aware of the provisions stipulated in the contracts, including the commitment to use the goods they acquire for the announced purposes and not to transfer them to third parties. without obtaining corresponding permission from the Russian side,” said Zajárova.

“If that were scrapwhat do they call EcuadorWashington would hardly propose moving to modern equipment, in fact, for a rather large sum. We hope that Quito understands it this way,” said Zajárova.

An employee at the El Porvenir banana farm prepares the fruit for domestic consumption in Puerto Inca, Ecuador, on March 31, 2022. (Photo by Marcos PIN/AFP). (PIN BOARDS/)

Then came the Russian retaliationwhich pointed to economy of the South American country, which has been in decline in recent years.

In the first week of February, Rosselkhoznadzorthe Russian veterinary and phytosanitary surveillance service, reported that Russia banned the import of bananas from Ecuador. The organization assured that the reason was the detection in the fruit of a devastating insect.

Russian media reported that nine out of ten bananas imported into Russia come from Ecuador.

The Ecuadorian portal Primicias said that the affected Ecuadorian exporters were Agzulasa, Don Carlos Fruit, Agroaerero Fruit Export, Agricultural Production Association of El Oro (Asoproagroro) and Comersur, that is, five of around twenty companies.

Although the Banana Commercialization and Export Association of Ecuador reported that in 2023 Russia was the first buyer of Ecuadorian fruit with 72 million boxes of bananas.

Export turnover banana totaled between January and November 2023 3,255 million dollars, of which 690 million dollars went to shipments to Russiathat has Ecuador practically as its only external supplier of bananas, representing 98% of its imports of this fruit.

But it was not the only retaliation. Rosselkhoznadzor He also said that from February 9 The entry of carnations from Ecuador will be prohibiteddue to the detection of a pest.

This body also requested that the Netherlands, Germany, Latvia and Lithuania also prevent the entry of Ecuadorian carnations.

But on Friday last week, Russia lifted all sanctions against Ecuador.

That same day, the Russian ambassador to Ecuador Vladimir Sprinchanwas “confident” that the South American country will not send Soviet weapons to Ukraine after a meeting with the president Noboa.

BM21 vehicles of Soviet origin, such as those owned by Ecuador. (Reference photo, TANG CHHIN SOTHY/AFP). (TANG CHHIN SOTHY/)

According to the Ecuavisa channel, Ecuador I already had it ready military compounds of Portoviejo and Puerto Bolívar the weapons of Soviet origin that would be delivered to the United States. Now these weapons must be returned to Army units.

The media reported that it was war material purchased in 1994 from Nicaragua for the Cenepa War, and that in any case the Armed Forces will provide them with the necessary maintenance so that they can function again. This is not scrap, as he claimed. Noboa.

Ecuavisa recalled that There is a project to modernize this equipment which was presented in 2022 for Government of the then president of Guillermo Lasso, which will require an investment of 30 million dollars. This plan was suspended when the US proposal to exchange weapons for new war equipment.

The artillery material that must be repaired consists of 19 bm21 vehicles with its components and six vehicles with the system behind rocket launcher. The reference budget is 5 million dollars. The Army has ten thousand rockets for the two artillery systems, Ecuavisa said.

The plan also includes modernization six helicopters MY. The Lasso Government gave the Ministry of Defense 24 million dollars to recover the aircraftbut this money was returned to the financial portfolioinformed Ecuavisa.

Source: Elcomercio