The Japanese Embassy in Quito celebrated the birth of Emperor Naruhito, the country’s national day. Japanese Ambassador Morishita Keiichiro highlighted the good moment that Ecuadorian-Japanese relations are going through. Ambassador Jaime Barberis responded on behalf of Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguín. Often this type of intervention is the exchange of flower bouquets, in which beauty is said. In such cases I usually refrain from clapping out of obligation. On this occasion, Ambassador Morishita had much to report on his country’s contributions, and Ambassador Barberis spoke of the Ecuadorian government’s commitment to free trade and the global validity of republican principles, with particular emphasis on condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We have an international policy,” I said to myself and clapped my hands with joy.

That’s why I looked back at this revealing moment. In a government that has lost direction in some areas, direction and common sense can be seen on the all-important foreign front. Minister of Foreign Affairs Holguín has shown leadership and efficiency in his administration, even, on several occasions, loyally pulling chestnuts out of the fire for the regime in other matters. Important free trade agreements have been signed, and others are being intensively negotiated. Some will say that we do not negotiate so intensively and we sign them soon, unfortunately it is not about blowing and making bottles, these are complex processes, full of important details. Especially with Asian countries, countries where patience is the greatest virtue, such negotiations “normally” last ten years, as well as with friendly Japan. After thirty years, Ecuador returned to the United Nations Security Council, the body with the highest decision-making capacity in the system.

The position on the Ukrainian war was clear and firm. On the whole, the country aligned itself with the West, showing that there is a coherent foreign policy, far from the inhibited attitude, far from the big planetary problems, that characterized the country in the 20th century. Correísmo pulled us out of this fearful position, to side with the villains, tyrannical and corrupt despotisms! We have found our place, and it is in the free world, as it belongs to us according to our historical and cultural heritage. Perfect management? No, there are ballots to resolve, for example, it is right to limit relations with the dictatorships of Venezuela and Nicaragua, so what crown do you see for Cuba, with which it continues to cooperate? Overcoming the servility of the last dictatorship, we must have a reasonable and realistic understanding with China, but it would be worthwhile to show our concern regarding the conflict in the East Asian seas, which are part of our Pacific Ocean and everything that happens in this colossal body of water, happens on our doorstep. There are painful issues such as immigration or tricky issues such as drug trafficking, but their solutions go beyond the diplomatic, reach into the social and economic… in short, there is work to be done. (OR)