Designates August 10 of each year as Ecuador Day.

SJR104

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 104

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 5, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Designates August 10 of each year as Ecuador Day.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

A Joint
Resolution
designating August 10 of each
year as Ecuador Day.

Whereas,

The United States and Ecuador share a history of partnership and cooperation
bonded by mutual interests in economic prosperity, democratic governance,
regional security, and academic exchanges; and

Whereas,

On August 10, 1809, Quito, the capital of Ecuador, declared independence from
Spain after nearly 300 years of Spanish colonization, commencing the Ecuadorian
War of Independence; and

Whereas,

On May 24, 1822, the Ecuadorian War of Independence ended with the decisive
Battle of Pichincha and assured the independence of Ecuador; and

Whereas,

The United States recognized the independence of Ecuador on June 18, 1822 and
recognized Ecuador as a separate state in 1832; and

Whereas,

In 1839, the United States and Ecuador signed a treaty of peace, friendship,
navigation, and commerce; and

Whereas,

The United States sent its first resident diplomatic agent to Quito in 1848,
marking the beginning of diplomatic relations between the two countries that
continue today; and

Whereas,

Today, the United States is Ecuador�s principal trading partner, with the
United States exporting goods such as petroleum products, machinery, computers
and electronic equipment, chemicals and fertilizers, and cereals and grains,
and importing goods such as crude oil, shrimps and prawns, bananas and
plantains, cocoa, and cut flowers; and

Whereas,

Ecuador is one of the most environmentally diverse countries in the world, and
has made notable contributions to the environmental sciences; and

Whereas,

Ecuador is home to the Galapagos Islands, which hosts iconic species like
giant-tortoises and blue-footed boobies; and

Whereas,

Research conducted in Ecuador by renowned naturalists Alexander von Humboldt of
Prussia and Charles Darwin of England aided in the establishment of basic
theories of modern geography, ecology, and evolutionary biology; and

Whereas,

Ecuador�s Mount Chimborazo is considered to be the closest point on Earth to
outer space due to its locations on the Earth�s bulge at the equator; and

Whereas,

In May 2024, Daniel Noboa, the President of the Republic of Ecuador, held an
official gathering at New Jersey City University as part of his first official
visit to the United States; and

Whereas,

President Noboa witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between
New Jersey City University and el Grupo Latinoamericano de C�nsules en New
Jersey, an alliance comprising 17 Latin American consulates that collaborate in
offering consular services, as well as providing resources on migratory,
educational, and health issues; and

Whereas,

New Jersey is home to the second-largest community of Ecuadorian immigrants in
the United States with 237,532 residents, comprising almost three percent of
the State�s population; and

Whereas,

Essex County and Hudson County claim the second and third largest Ecuadorian
immigrant population by county in the United States, respectively; and

Whereas,

Ecuador has served as an important international partner for the United States,
as well as New Jersey, by means of trade, as well as academic and cultural
exchanges that must be recognized; now, therefore,

����
Be It
Resolved
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.� August 10 of each year is designated as
Ecuador Day t
o honor Ecuador�s independence and our nation�s
strategic partnership and to celebrate the Ecuadorian community in this State.

���� 2.� The Governor is respectfully requested to
issue an annual proclamation calling upon public officials, citizens of the
State, and other interested groups to observe Ecuador Day with appropriate
programs and activities.

���� 3.� This joint resolution
shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This joint resolution
designates August 10 of each year as Ecuador Day.

���� On May 24, 1822, after a
13-year war, Ecuador assured its independence from Spain with the decisive
victory of the Battle of Pichincha.� The United States recognized the
independence of Ecuador on June 18, 1822 and recognized Ecuador as a separate
state in 1832.� The two countries began their diplomatic relationship in 1838
by signing a treaty of peace and the United States sent its first resident
diplomatic agent to Quito in 1848.� Today, the United States is one of
Ecuador�s principal trading partners.�

���� In May 2024, Daniel Noboa, the
President of the Republic of Ecuador, held an official gathering at New Jersey
City University as part of his first official visit to the United States.�
During his visit, President Noboa witnessed the signing of a memorandum of
understanding between New Jersey City University and el Grupo Latinoamericano
de C�nsules en New Jersey.�

���� Additionally, New Jersey is
home to the second-largest community of Ecuadorian immigrants in the United
States with 237,532 residents, comprising almost three percent of the State�s
population.� Essex County and Hudson County claim the second and third largest
Ecuadorian immigrant population by county in the United States, respectively.

���� Ecuador is known as one of the
most environmentally diverse countries in the world, and has made notable
contributions to the environmental sciences, including research that has led to
the establishment of basic theories of modern geography, ecology, and
evolutionary biology.� Overall, Ecuador has served as an important
international partner for the United States, as well as New Jersey, by means of
trade and academic and cultural exchanges.