Quito, Aug 5 (Prensa Latina) Ecuador will ask South American countries to cooperate in the anti-drug struggle in the region, after the expiration of an agreement that authorizes the United State to fight that scourge from Ecuadorean territory, according to an official source.
In statements to reporters, Ecuadorean Ambassador in Washington Luis Gallegos said his country wants to develop regional cooperation to fight drug trafficking in the area.
According to the diplomat, the government will continue its struggle against drug trafficking, so it has designed strategies to dismantle drug traffickers' networks, mainly on the border with Colombia.
He added that the Ecuadorean government would create social and economic programs in that region.
For his part, President Rafael Correa told the White House last week that he has decided not to renew a 1999 agreement for another ten years to fight drug trafficking from the Manta base, some 160 miles southeast of Quito.
In that regard, Gallegos recalled that the president's decision is supported by most Ecuadorians, who reject the presence of foreign troops in the country.
He warned that as long as the demand for cocaine exists in the United States and Europe, the problem would not be solved.
According to the Ecuadorean ambassador, the United States consumes 400 tons of cocaine a year, while Europe consumes nearly 350 tons, at a total market value of more than 100 billion dollars.
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