Interview by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield with María Grazzia Acosta from Teleamazonas
Ambassador Linda Thomas-GreenfieldUS Representative to the United NationsQuito, EcuadorMarch 31, 2023
AS DELIVERED
ASK: Madam Ambassador, nice to meet you. Thank you very much. Welcome. It’s such a pleasure to have you here.
AMBASSADOR LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD: I am pleased to be here.
ASK: Thank you very much. Please tell us why – what is the reason for your visit to Ecuador?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: Well this is not my first visit to Ecuador. I was leading the presidential delegation here when President Lasso was sworn in 15 months ago. But I’m here today because Ecuador is an elected member of the Security Council, and as a permanent member of the Security Council, I have made it a rule to visit the countries of the elected members to share common priorities, to discuss goals, and a strive for closer partnership.
ASK: How do you see the multilateral relations between Ecuador and the United States right now with this team, considering what you said that Ecuador is a member of the United Nations Security Council and we need a lot of help in the fight against organized transnational organizations? Crime?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: Ecuador is a very strong partner of the United States. Bilaterally we have always had a strong partnership, and multilaterally this partnership has been expanded with Ecuador in the Security Council. We have common interests. We have common values. For example, we work together on Haiti – Ecuador is one of the co-pens of the Haiti Resolution. That is why we work very closely with Ecuador on all the issues that are important to them, as well as on issues that we prioritize.
ASK: Did you do something with the President or Minister Holguín, Mr. Holguín, about the fight against organized crime?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: In fact, today I met the – I met the Foreign Secretary today and we talked about organized crime and the fact that organized crime knows no borders. They invade other countries. You deal with migration issues. They have goals that really undermine democracy, they undermine the rule of law and we need to work together on these issues.
ASK: Madam Ambassador, right now in Ecuador politicians want to remove President Lasso, so he also faces a threat because social organizations aim to remove him from power. How do you currently see the democratic situation in Ecuador?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: I am not here to interfere in the domestic politics of this country. But when it comes to democracy, democracy is difficult. Democracy is always reset. It always restarts. It recalibrates itself. We see it in many, many countries. But at the end of the day, we know that democracies work for their people, and that’s why the President is hosting the second Summit of Democracies, which President Lasso attended today.
ASK: Yes, and do you think democracy in the region is at risk? What will you be talking about at this Summit for Democracy in Costa Rica?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: President Biden has said that we are at a turning point in democracy. And it is at this point that we must reaffirm our partnerships and reaffirm and strengthen our alliances, and we must continue to demonstrate the importance of democracies for peace and security. They are important to the well-being of our people. And this second Summit for Democracy will reaffirm the commitments made during the first Summit, but also seek to create a stronger bond between democratic countries.
ASK: Madam Ambassador, thank you very much. We continue with this interview. So you once said that there is a direct relationship, a connection, between public service and human rights. So how do you think it is possible in public service to preserve basic freedoms such as freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of movement etc.?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: Well, as a civil servant — and I’ve been one for almost 40 years — I work on human rights issues, humanitarian issues, work on human development issues, women’s peace and security issues, work on addressing new issues — they’re all issues that matter to our future are important. They are important for our country’s democracy. And for any public servant, especially in the United States, these are all priorities for us when we’re pursuing our public service interests, but we are – when we’re serving our people and our countries.
ASK: And these freedoms are also important for democracy?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: They are absolutely necessary for democracy. You can’t have democracy and you can’t have human rights. You cannot have democracy without freedom of the press. All of this is part of what we hope countries that are not democracies to begin to understand so that they can set out on the path to becoming democracies.
ASK: As you told us, you have spent almost half of your professional life helping others and supporting refugees. Ecuador has taken in Venezuelan migrants in recent years. So what can you tell us? How can we improve our treatment of Venezuelan migrants?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: Ecuador is an example to the rest of the region of how immigrants and refugees can be treated. They just passed a law legalizing Venezuelan refugees in this country. I attended a program today where I saw refugees being welcomed, served, supported and encouraged and then I heard from some refugee women who thanked this country for what they have provided.
So, once again, Ecuador is a strong example of what we want to see in empowering countries to support vulnerable people, especially people coming from across the border. And what I heard today is that Ecuador had to rely on its neighbors. So they pay it up front.
ASK: And, as you told us, you visited the Albergue San Juan de Dios this morning.
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: Yes.
ASK: So what did you find? What can we do to help others better?
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: I was so impressed with what I saw at this center, the quality of services provided to both refugees and Ecuadorians. There was a program to support eligible Ecuadorian homeless people. The program — the refugee feeding program, and I’ve had the opportunity to actually minister to some of these refugees. And meetings with women who came here to seek freedom that they didn’t have in Venezuela.
The center is exceptional. I don’t know if I have any advice on how to improve. My advice to them is to share their example more broadly with other organizations, with other countries, because I think it is an example of what should be done for refugees when they are looking for support.
ASK: Now your visit to Costa Rica continues. Thank you for being here and for taking the time, Madam Ambassador.
AMBASSADOR THOMAS GREENFIELD: Thank you very much and I really appreciate spending some time with you.
ASK: Thank you very much.
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