Ecuador's Ambassador to Unveil New Health Insurance, Education and Training Programs, and Worker Protections for ...

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire -05/21/12)- Ecuador's Ambassador to the United States, Nathalie Cely, will unveil new plans for health insurance, scholarships and other education programs for Ecuadorians living in the United States during a press conference in New York City at 10:30 AM, Thursday, May 24, onboard the Buque Escuela Guayas, the Ecuadorian Navy's flagship, at Intrepid Pier (Pier 86), 700 West 46th Street, on the Hudson River in New York.

Ambassador Cely also will discuss:

• the Migrant Labor Protection Agreement, designed to protect the rights of immigrant Ecuadorian workers, their safety in the workplace, and guarantees of fair wages;
• a pilot technical training program for young Ecuadorians in the Northeast United States;
• recent developments in Ecuadorian tourism, including Ecuador's recognition as one of the best travel and retirement destinations;
• economic and social progress in Ecuador related to business and investment opportunities for Americans; and,
• the need to renew the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), so Ecuadorian roses can continue to be imported duty-free into the U.S.

In addition to these very pressing topics, Ambassador Cely and Amilcar Villavicencio, Commander of the Buque Escuela Guayas, will detail the ship's participation as one of 17 tall ships and 10 warships in OpSail 2012, organized by the U.S. Navy to commemorate the penning of America's National Anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," and the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Following the press conference, they will celebrate Ecuador's May 24, 1822, victory in the Battle of Pichincha, which ensured its independence from Spain.

Media planning to attend should respond to mlsconsuladoec@gmail.com and pick up credentials shipside on May 24 by 10:15 AM.

Nathalie Cely, who became Ecuador's Ambassador to the United States on January 18, 2012, was Coordinating Minister of Production, Employment and Competitiveness from May 2009-Nov. 2011 and served as Ecuador's Coordinating Minister of Social Development from March 2007-April 2009. Earlier, the economist, who earned an MPA at Harvard, was president of Edúcate, a foundation to improve education, and of Stratega, a foundation promoting sustainable small businesses development.

21 May, 2012