Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs, released the following statement today on the Government of Ecuador opening a consulate in New Haven, CT. An estimated 50,000 Ecuadorians live in Connecticut.

“I was pleased to learn that the Government of Ecuador will be opening a consulate in New Haven.  The Ecuadorian community in Connecticut is a part of our State’s vibrant society and has contributed to Connecticut’s economy and cultural diversity.  I have long supported closer ties between the United States and Ecuador, and I have no doubt that this new consulate will foster cultural and economic exchange in the Greater New Haven area.  I join the City of New Haven and the State of Connecticut in extending a warm welcome to the consular staff.”