Nicolas Lloreda, former ambassador of Colombia to Canada: “With the retreat of the United States from globalization and international trade, this agreement, between two countries with only $1.3 billion in bilateral trade, is a small but important step that, in time, should bring benefits to both sides. If the Conservatives win in the next Canadian election, as expected, they are likely to ratify the agreement, as Canada urgently needs new trading partners to lower its dependence on the U.S. market. For Ecuador, which was unable to secure a trade agreement with the United States when that was still possible under the previous administration, this trade agreement is a long-sought objective. However, its ratification will depend on the result of Ecuador’s runoff election in April. Also affecting ratification is the capability of the next president to win over votes from minority parties, given that neither the supporters of President Daniel Noboa or former President Rafael Correa’s protégée, Luisa González, command…”