A CONVERSATION WITH ECUADOR VICE PRESIDENT ALFREDO BORRERO: HEALTH, RECOVERY, AND REGIONAL OUTLOOK - In April, 2022, Latin America and the Caribbean marked it's two year anniversary since the region’s first confirmed COVID case, with Ecuador experiencing large wave of infections and deaths early in the pandemic. However, the start of Ecuador’s vaccination campaign in 2021 means that today over 88 percent of the population has received at least one vaccine dose, with approximately 83 percent fully vaccinated. Ecuador’s health, its pandemic recovery, and the implications for the larger region are important for its future and opportunities for deepening its partnership with the United States.

How can the United States work with Ecuador to advance concrete policies that accelerate pandemic recovery? What opportunities exist for the United States and Ecuador to collaborate on a broader set of issues? How will President Lasso’s recent trip to Beijing shape the future of Ecuador’s relations with China?

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 2/17/2022