Latin America

July 10, 20185:18 PM ET
Merrit Kennedy

U.S. officials made threats to Ecuador in an attempt to water down a resolution in support of breastfeeding, according to a report in The New York Times.

The news report has garnered strong reaction from the U.S. government. President Trump tweeted that it is a "Fake News story" that "must be called out." A State Department official told NPR that "media reports suggesting the United States threatened a partner nation related to a World Health Assembly resolution are false."

Link to tweet

The tension over the breastfeeding resolution came to a head in Geneva in May, when the decision-making body of the World Health Organization held its annual meeting for government officials and other stakeholders to discuss a range of health policy issues.

The Times story, from reporter Andrew Jacobs, details how what was initially thought to be a noncontroversial resolution, aimed at promoting breastfeeding, allegedly resulted in the U.S. making threats to cut trade and withdraw some military aid from Ecuador.

More:
https://www.npr.org/2018/07/10/627647536/did-the-u-s-threaten-ecuador-over-a-breastfeeding-resolution