Housewarming of the New Offices of the U.S. Embassy
September 26, 2008
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Adam Namm, Amb. Heather Hodges, and DCM Andrew Chritton |
Ambassador Heather Hodges presided over a housewarming ceremony for the new offices of the U.S. Embassy in northern Quito on September 26, 2008. The event was attended by Adam Namm, Managing Director of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Buildings Overseas; Architect Diego Carrion, Planning Director of the Municipality of Quito on behalf of the Mayor, and various other friends and neighbors.
In her remarks, Ambassador Hodges highlighted the characteristics of the new complex stating, “This building was designed to facilitate the free exchange of ideas between representatives of our two governments as well as to provide the opportunity for Ecuadorians to learn more about the United States.” Ambassador Hodges took the opportunity to thank the neighbors for their patience and understanding during the past three years. (images)
FBI Returns Pre-Columbian Artifacts to Ecuador
September 24, 2008
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| Amb. Heather Hodges |
The Miami Division of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) officially handed over 168 pre-Columbian artifacts to the Government of Ecuador in a special ceremony that took place on September 23 and was attended by the U.S. Ambassador to Ecuador, Heather Hodges, the Federal Prosecutor for Florida Southern District, R. Alexander Acosta, and the Consul General of Ecuador Juan Carlos Toledo,among other U.S. and Ecuadorian representatives.
Ambassador Hodges praised the joint effort by U.S. and Ecuador authorities that resulted in the recovery of these pieces, part of the Ecuadorian cultural heritage, believed to be 2,000 to 5,000 years old, and dubbed the ceremony as very important. (images)