MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

US support embattled Ecuadorian president

United States chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard B. Myers said Monday in Quito that Washington considers Ecuador to be an “important ally” in the fight against drug trafficking in the region.

General Myers, who is on a short official trip to this South American country as part of a regional tour that includes Colombia and Mexico, met with President Lucio Gutierrez to discuss bilateral cooperation on security matters.

The US Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman who has been in post since 2001 emphasized the cooperation and efforts displayed by the Ecuadorian government in the fight against drug trafficking.

Drugs are a threat that has "no borders" and which no country can confront alone underlined General Myers, who went on to praise the "invaluable" participation of Ecuadorian soldiers on various peacekeeping missions, in particular the deployment of troops in Haiti under United Nations command.

The general also highlighted Unites States support for democracy and Ecuadorian institutions.

His visit comes at a time when President Gutierrez is facing substantial political opposition over his controversial restructuring of the Supreme Court late last year.

A public opinion poll published Sunday in Quito indicated that 56,78% of Ecuadorians interviewed would like to see President Gutierrez resign "as the best option for the current political crisis". However 43% were against such an option.

The poll taken in the country's two main cities, Quito and Guayaquil also shows that President Gutierrez credibility stands at 7% with 93% of Ecuadorians "not trusting or believing in the president's promises".

"National disenchantment is growing", with 66,66% of those interviewed stating that the country's situation "is bad or worsening".

Last December President Gutierrez with Congressional support replaced Supreme Court Judges who then proceeded to annul embezzlement indictments against former president Abdalá Bucaram exiled in Panama.

Mr. Bucaram still has strong political backing in Guayaquil, a city ruled by his family for decades and is a close ally of President Gutierrez.

Actually the Colonel Gutierrez was former president Bucaram's military aide de camp.