Ecuador President’s Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Washington

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The aircraft carrying Ecuadoran President Lenin Moreno, the First Lady, and a delegation of top officials was forced to make an emergency landing on Saturday, January 30th, in Washington at the end of an official visit, the country’s communications ministry announced.

Moreno and several members of his government traveling with him were “all fine,” the official announcement said, adding it was caused by mechanical problems in the aircraft.

“The president’s plane suffered a mechanical failure a few minutes after takeoff from Washington DC and had to make an emergency landing,” the ministry said.

“Moreno and all occupants of the plane are fine and will return to Ecuador in the coming hours,” it added. In effect they were all back in Quito Sunday afternoon.

The statement provided no details on the nature of the mechanical defect or the circumstances surrounding the landing.

The Ecuadoran leader, whose four-year term ends on May 24, had just completed an official visit that started last Monday, 25 January, and included meetings with officials in the new administration of President Joe Biden, and Gregory Meeks, chair of the Foreign affairs committee of the House of Representatives.

Moreno also met with Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund. The IMF in September had granted a US$6.5 billion credit to the country.

Ecuador is holding presidential and congressional elections on Sunday February 7, and several hopeful candidates have advanced they will demand a review of the conditions of the IMF loan and refinancing facilities.