QUITO, Ecuador—Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño said Thursday that the government of President Rafael Correa will protect WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as long as necessary.

Mr. Assange has been in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London since June 2012 to avoid a possible extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over sexual-assault allegations. Mr. Assange denies the allegations.

"We...