Michael J. Fitzpatrick, the U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador, and Dr. Florinella Muñoz, Rector of the National Polytechnic School, participated in a ceremony marking the donation of volcanic surveillance equipment to monitor Cotopaxi Volcano.
The equipment, valued at around $190,000, will be installed on both the near and outer sides of Cotopaxi Volcano.
On May 2, 2023, it was announced that the U.S. Government had invested approximately $190,000 in monitoring equipment for Cotopaxi Volcano. In an official ceremony, Ambassador Fitzpatrick donated this equipment to the Geophysical Institute (IG), part of Ecuador's Polytechnic School.
This contribution is part of a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) program in collaboration with the United States Geological Survey. The program has provided technical support to Ecuadorian geologists and IG for over 30 years, including training in risk assessment and developing early warning systems.
The equipment from the U.S. Government will be placed on Cotopaxi's flanks. Although currently having a low chance of eruption, Cotopaxi could quickly intensify and threaten over 200,000 people living nearby.
Ambassador Fitzpatrick emphasized the importance of this investment: “The Government of the United States has maintained a relationship for more than three decades with the Geophysical Institute of the National Polytechnic School... We will work with Ecuador to be better prepared for the possibility of natural disasters and protect the lives of all.”
According to Patricia Mothesel, vulcanologist and head of IG, due to U.S. contributions, Cotopaxi is likely Latin America's best-monitored volcano. This latest donation follows increased volcanic activity since October 2022, marked by frequent emissions reaching up to 2,000 meters above its summit.