Luis Espinosa Salas: When diplomacy becomes reputation

The Ambassador and Consul General of Ecuador in Houston leaves Texas after a tenure defined by community engagement, national promotion, and a deeply personal conviction that extends far beyond diplomacy: treat people the way you would want your own family to be treated.

By Patricia ContrerasCEO, WoodlandStories Magazine

Representing a country in Houston also means building trust, opening markets, and shaping how the world perceives a nation. That was one of the less visible—and most strategic—dimensions of Luis Espinosa Salas’ mission.

What does a country need to become an opportunity?

Before there is an investment, there is a conversation. Before there is an export, there is awareness. Before a business leader opens a door, there is a perception. And diplomacy plays a role in shaping that first impression.

During his tenure as Ambassador and Consul General of Ecuador in Houston, Luis Gustavo Espinosa Salas understood that representing Ecuador in Texas was not simply an institutional responsibility; it was also an exercise in positioning.

Positioning a country. Positioning its products. Positioning its professionals.

Positioning its opportunities. And above all, building trust.

In his conversation with Sin Libreto by WoodlandStories, Espinosa Salas spoke about diplomacy, but also about business, energy, tourism, trade, migration, culture, and the enormous potential connecting Ecuador and Texas.

His perspective is particularly relevant to the business community because it is grounded in a principle that applies to virtually any company:

If people do not know what you do, it is difficult for them to trust you—and without trust, there is no sustainable relationship.

That is why one word repeatedly surfaces throughout his conversation: visibility. “For any business endeavor, you need visibility,” he explained. The phrase could easily belong in the playbook of any entrepreneur trying to enter a new market.

But in his case, he was talking about something much larger: how to ensure that Ecuador is seen not only as the home country of a migrant community, but also as a business partner, an investment destination, an agricultural and export powerhouse, an energy player, and an extraordinary tourism destination.

THE ECUADOR BRAND MUST ALSO BE BUILT

In the corporate world, we constantly talk about brand, reputation, positioning, and trust. Countries have brands, too. And those brands influence decisions.

An investor evaluates stability and opportunity. A consumer looks at origin and quality. A traveler forms expectations before purchasing a ticket. A business leader decides whom to work with based on the information, relationships, and credibility available to them.

From Houston, Espinosa Salas worked precisely in that space where diplomacy meets economics.

Texas offered a particularly important environment: energy, trade, agriculture, logistics, finance, tourism, entrepreneurship, a large Hispanic population, and an economy deeply connected to the global marketplace.

For Ecuador, being present in that ecosystem means much more than maintaining a consular office. It means being part of the conversation.

And that is where one of the most interesting dimensions of his mission emerges: making visible what Ecuador has to offer before waiting for the market to come looking for it: roses, shrimp, chocolate, food products, energy, tourism, and talent.

Ecuadorian professionals working in strategic industries who, from Texas, maintain economic and family ties with their home country.

A STORY ABOUT ROSES THAT EXPLAINS A STRATEGY

Sometimes, a conversation about international business begins with something as simple as a bouquet of flowers. During the interview, Espinosa Salas shared an anecdote that may seem small but perfectly captures the challenge of international positioning. Someone saw a bouquet of Ecuadorian roses and assumed they were Colombian. The diplomat explained that they were from Ecuador.

That opened the door to a conversation about the distinctive characteristics of Ecuadorian roses, their exceptionally long stems, and the geographic conditions that make Ecuador an ideal place to grow them. 

The story leads to a powerful conclusion: 

If the market does not recognize where your product comes from, you still have a positioning challenge to solve.

For a business owner, the lesson is immediate. Having a good product is not enough. You have to make it visible. You must explain what makes it different. You must tell its story. And you must build a reputation that allows that difference to be recognized.   That, too, is economic diplomacy.

WHEN AN INSTITUTION’S REPUTATION IS PUT TO THE TEST

But consular service has another, far more sensitive dimension. A diplomatic mission does not only receive business leaders, investors, or official delegations. It receives people who arrive because they need help.

A family searching for information about a loved one. A citizen facing an emergency. Someone seeking guidance through a complex immigration situation. A family dealing with an unexpected loss. And at that point, diplomacy stops being a word associated with meetings, flags, and protocol. It becomes service.

Consul Espinosa Salas expressed it in deeply personal terms:

“I have done something that is part of my philosophy of life: treat people the way I would want my sister, my father, my mother, a grandparent, or myself to be treated.” That statement may reveal the most powerful element of his philosophy. Because institutional reputation is not built only when everything works. 

It is built when someone comes to your door because they need you.

And that is a lesson that extends far beyond diplomacy. It applies to a company, a brand, a hospital, a university, a bank—any organization seeking to build lasting relationships. The experience a person has with an institution can become trust. Or it can destroy it.

ECUADOR AND THE TEXAS OPPORTUNITY

From that perspective, Houston was not simply the place where Espinosa Salas carried out his diplomatic responsibilities. It was also a laboratory for relationships. A meeting point between Ecuador and one of the most dynamic states in the United States.

During the conversation, the diplomat discussed business opportunities, Ecuadorian products that could find a place in the Texas market, and the importance of strengthening connections among business leaders.

“Ecuador is considered the country of four worlds,” he said, referring to the nation’s four major geographic regions: the Galápagos Islands, the Coast, the Andes, and the Amazon. The Galápagos Islands are one of Ecuador’s most powerful international symbols and are closely associated with the history of evolution and Charles Darwin’s scientific legacy.

The Coast offers beaches, gastronomy, and seafood. The Andes combine volcanoes, mountains, cultural heritage, and cities such as Quito. And the Amazon is home to extraordinary biodiversity and vast areas of protected land. 

Behind that diversity lies an economic opportunity as well. Tourism, gastronomy, food, agriculture, premium products, and cultural experiences can all become vehicles for Ecuador’s international positioning.

The Consul of Ecuador in Houston also spoke about something less tangible—and perhaps more important: the need to know one another. International business rarely begins with a contract. It begins with a conversation. Then comes trust. Then the relationship. And eventually, the opportunity. That process—so familiar to every entrepreneur—is also part of modern diplomacy.

Espinosa Salas leaves Houston with an idea that goes far beyond his title: countries, too, compete for attention, trust, investment, and reputation.

At a time when institutions are increasingly judged by their ability to generate trust, Luis Espinosa Salas’ experience offers a lesson that transcends diplomacy:

Leadership is not always measured by the position you hold, but by the way people remember being treated by you.