Noboa decorates Rubio in Quito; US pledges $45M and a Coast Guard cutter amid opposition backlash

Rubio arrived in Quito on 9 September and was received by President Daniel Noboa at the Palacio de Carondelet, who conferred Ecuador's National Order of Merit in the Grade of Grand Cross on him and praised his 'capacity to solve problems.' In joint statements with Foreign Minister Roberto Kury delivered 10 September, Rubio announced the administration would ask Congress for $45 million in additional counter-narcotics funding for Ecuador and pledged the transfer of a US Coast Guard cutter plus five interceptor boats to strengthen Ecuador's maritime capacity. Pressed on the sunk Ecuadorian fishing vessels, Rubio said the interdictions were bilateral operations under agreements with a 'very cooperative' Ecuador, calling them 'an incredible advance' in countries' willingness to act in their own territorial waters, and said each target was 'carefully selected' based on the vessel, the threat and its location. Citizen Revolution legislator Gustavo Mateus publicly questioned Noboa's decoration of Rubio, arguing the government was presenting as cooperation what amounted to subordination to Washington.