Police and uniformed agents guard the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador, that has been closed as a security precaution

December 17, 1999
Web posted at: 11:25 p.m. EST (0425 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States closed its embassy and two consulates in Ecuador on Friday due to "supicious activities" outside the facilities, officials tell CNN.

The embassy and consulate in Quito were closed indefinitely, as was the consulate in the coastal city of Guayaquil.

Officials said the facilities were closed as a "precautionary measure," and the action was not related to the State Department worldwide alert announced last week for U.S. citizens traveling abroad.

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The embassy compound was surrounded by barricades guarded by police and a dozen uniformed agents.

"We hope to work closely with the Ecuadorean authorities in the next few days to ensure adequate protection for our employees," the State Department said in a released statement.

A spokesman said no embassy personnel had been evacuated.

Embassy officials said normal operations would resume "when we have determined that our employees and the hundreds of people who use our services can do so in a secure manner."

The closures came a day after Peter Romero, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Latin American affairs, landed in Quito. Romero arrived late Thursday night and met with President Jamil Mahuad. No official account of their discussion was released.

Romero, who was the U.S. ambassador to the small Andean nation from 1993 to 1996, said he also hoped to meet with congressional and regional opposition leaders.

Unlike its turbulent neighbor Colombia, no guerrillas are known to operate in Ecuador. An unknown group claimed responsibility for damage to an oil pipeline last month, but the damage was later found to have occurred due to technical problems.

Ecuador, a nation of 12 million people, is in severe economic crisis and has defaulted on part of its foreign debt.

Last week the U.S. State Department announced it had "credible evidence" that terrorist attacks were being planned against U.S. citizens and others traveling outside the United States.

Sources said U.S. officials suspected the threats were linked to accused terrorist Osama bin Laden, the Saudi Arabian millionaire wanted by the FBI in connection with the deadly bombing attacks on two U.S. embassies in eastern Africa last year.

Correspondent Andrea Koppel and Reuters contributed to this report.

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