Lincoln Goes to Ecuador

By David J. Kent

Washington, DC (via Quito, Ecuador)

Friday, September 12, 2025

Abraham Lincoln is in Quito, Ecuador. Right there on the equator. I've seen him.

Lincoln never actually traveled to Ecuador, of course, but there is a statue of Lincoln in Plaza Abraham Lincoln on a busy street in downtown Quito, the capital of the country. I recently returned from traveling to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands and convinced the guide to take an alternative route so we could make a brief stop to see Lincoln's statue.

So why is Lincoln there? The Union did have diplomatic relations with Ecuador during the Civil War, with Lincoln authorizing a "Convention for the mutual adjustment of claims between the two parties," although it's unclear to what claims he was referring. Lincoln appointed Frederick Hassaurek, editor of a German-language newspaper in Cincinnati, as minister to Spanish-speaking Ecuador. But that isn't why there is a statue in Quito. Instead, in 1959, to mark the sesquicentennial of Lincoln's birth, the statue was donated by a committee of Americans living in Quito. The dedication was part of a city-wide renovation to make way for a large international conference. A re-dedication ceremony was held on Lincoln's 200th birthday in 2009.

The statue itself depicts Lincoln from bellybutton up hovering over the top of a lectern, presumably giving one of his great speeches. He is beardless, so he had not yet been elected president. The half-figure sits on top of a stone pedestal. In the background stands a wall with a plaque, although the wall sits back a way and off to the side, so it is only visible in photos taken from a certain angle. As you might expect, the statue sits in Abraham Lincoln Plaza just off Calle Abraham Lincoln.

My own photos aren't that great given that the bus driver wouldn't let me out because he was stopped briefly on a busy interchange, but being able to see a Lincoln statue in another country is always a thrill for us Lincolnophiles. Here's a better photo by Frederic Calvat I pulled off Twitter.

I also went to Peru and Machu Picchu on this trip. Peru's capital of Lima didn't have a statue, but I did catch a street sign for Avenue Abraham Lincoln downtown. The guide said that in the late 20th century there were many American ex-pats that came to Peru, so Lima now has streets named after several prominent Americans, including George Washington, Roosevelt, and, of course, Abraham Lincoln. [They also have great ceviche, which has nothing to do with Lincoln, but it was worth the visit in itself]

Wherever I travel these days I always check to see if Lincoln is represented there. I recently saw him in Hingham, England, and Edinburgh, Scotland (and several other places in the UK), so be sure to keep an eye out no matter where you go.