Tension between Ecuador and Russia over the delivery of Soviet weapons to the United States

The decision of the Government of Ecuador to deliver Soviet weapons to the United States, which could later be sent to Ukraine, will damage relations between Moscow and Quito, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, María Zajárova, warned this Wednesday.

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“In the case of delivery of military assets to a third party, Ecuador will violate its international commitments, and this will entail negative consequences for our future bilateral interaction”he stated at a press conference.

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According to the diplomatic representative, Moscow transmitted to Quito its position regarding these supplies “indicating the specific points of the agreements and contracts” linked to Russian military supplies to Ecuador that the South American nation would violate by re-exporting them to the United States.

Tensions between both countries skyrocketed after the decision of the Ecuadorian president, Daniel Noboa, to carry out the exchange of Russian military equipment (considered by Quito as scrap) for American supplies valued at about 200 million dollars.

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Zajárova argued Moscow's discomfort with the fact that “if it were scrap metal, as they call it in Ecuador, Washington would hardly propose its exchange for modern equipment, by the way, for a fairly high amount. Let's hope that Quito understands it that way.”

Following these events, Last week, the Russian phytosanitary inspection (Rosseljoznadzor) requested the suspension of exports from five banana companies from Ecuador, which could be considered a warning from Moscow to Quito..

As reported by Rosseljoznadzor in a statement, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock of Ecuador, Franklin Palacios, was sent a request to temporarily stop the export certification of bananas from several companies starting February 5 due to the presence of humpback flies.

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The list includes Agzulasa Cia, Don Carlos Fruit SA, Agroaereo Fruit Export SA, Association of Agricultural Production of Gold (Asoproagroro) and Comercializadora de Banano, the companies in whose supplies the highest number of infractions was found.

“The cessation of certification is the responsibility of the Ecuadorian side. Without the certificate, Ecuadorian exporters cannot send their productions,” the Rosseljoznadzor press service explained to the Russian agency Interfax.

According to the Russian phytosanitary authorities, “in the event that the Ecuadorian side does not take effective measures and the presence of said pest in bananas continues to be detected, Rosseljoznadzor will be forced to move to the next phase of restrictive measures”says the official note.

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The humpback fly (Megaselia scalaris Loew) is a pest that affects a large number of food products and is also a transmitting agent of cholera.

Ecuador is the main supplier of bananas to Russia, accounting for 98% of imports of this fruit, while Russia is the second destination market for Ecuadorian bananas, with 1.37 million tons in 2023, equivalent to 22.85%. of the total, only surpassed by the EU.

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Not satisfied with limiting banana imports, Rosseljoznadzor asked the Ecuadorian authorities to cease the certification of carnations from this South American nation due to the presence of trisanoptera (Frankliniella occidentalis) in these flowersanother dangerous pest.

EFE