Consulate News

U.S. Government Donates Boats to GOE

On September 5, a representative of the U.S. Military Group in the Embassy Quito and Public Affairs Officer Peter Martin officially donated three boats to the Grupo de Operaciones Especiales (GOE) of Guayaquil on behalf of the U.S. Southern Command.  The boats are specifically designed for use in search-and-rescue missions during natural disasters.
The donation was part of the U.S. government’s ongoing commitment to helping Ecuador assist its citizens during the various natural disasters that affect it.  During the floods of early 2008 that displaced more than 300,000 Ecuadorians, the U.S. was one of the first countries to offer assistance, providing more than $1 million in boats, tents, emergency kits and other materials.The GOE is an elite force of 80 specially trained police, whose primary missions are search-and-rescue operations and providing humanitarian aid to coastal Ecuador during natural disasters.