In my previous column, I mentioned climate change and the foreign debt as two areas of foreign policy that were not addressed in the presidential candidate debate. Although it is not possible to cover all topics, I will continue to highlight the most relevant ones:

3. International trade. Without significant and diversified export growth, there will be no job creation or investment. Exports are key to sustaining dollarization, so greater market access must be achieved. The poorest sectors of the country must be nurtured and be part of export sectors, in order to eliminate hunger and poverty. There is no security without development.

4. Direct foreign investments. The inability to provide legal certainty to investors has resulted in us having almost zero foreign direct investment. We have more than a dozen international lawsuits and have been sentenced to large sums. The arbitration ruling in favor of Chevron, which the state will soon have to face, will affect public finances and will affect everyone.

5. International migration. Since the 1998 crisis, Ecuador has become a country of emigration, with a population of approximately 3 million migrants in the United States and Europe. Sending remittances has contributed to the country’s economy in recent decades, although we will continue to pay social costs for even longer. Many of our migrants have an irregular migration situation, so we must ensure that their stay in destination countries is regulated and that their rights are respected.

6. Security and drug trafficking. After the pandemic, cocaine exports doubled, creating an oversupply that sparked a global cartels battle. Ecuador has been a victim of insecurity as a result of the drug trade and its violent derivatives. There is co-responsibility among countries that consume cocaine and they must cooperate in security and development solutions to confront drug trafficking. We need transnational solutions for a transnational problem.

7. International cooperation. The non-reimbursed cooperation that Ecuador receives amounts to several million dollars a year. These amounts could be significantly increased with international efforts.

8. Transfer of technology. In a highly technological world, Ecuador must make every effort to improve its competitive abilities through the transformation of traditional education and encourage innovation, in order to compete in the world of artificial intelligence.

There is no more room to deal with issues such as food security, disarmament and arms trade, the aging of the global population, problems of corruption with international connections, organized crime, world peace, mass non-use of weapons of destruction, etc.

In order for Ecuador to fully exploit the potential of its international relations, it must have professional leadership in foreign policy. Foreign policy must always be based on their national interests. (OR)