QUITO, Ecuador (Jan. 22, 2024) -- The commander of U.S. Southern Command, Army Gen. Laura Richardson, shakes hands with Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa. Richardson was part of a U.S. delegation, led by Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas Christopher Dodd (left), that met with Noboa and his cabinet to coordinate and agree on effective security cooperation strategies in the wake of a recent surge in violence in Ecuador. (Photo courtesy Presidencia de la República del Ecuador)