According to the news chain CNNa senior Ecuadorian official familiar with the planning of the construction of the New Naval Base He explained that this will have barracks housing and Administrative offices designed to support future operations and US military personnel.
The official confirmed that These facilities are expected to be eventually occupied by American soldiers.
The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, speaks during an event with entrepreneurs from the Chamber of Commerce of Guayaquil. (EFE/ Mauricio Torres).
CNN indicated that he had access to Construction plans And he said that they show that Ecuador’s Ministry of Defense signed recently An agreement with the Port Manta Authority to build a 150 -meter dock and expand the existing port in more than 700 square meters.
Projects have the support of USACNN said. He added that an American representative was present at the signing of the agreement.
In addition, he reported that a representation of a Floating dockdated August 2024, during the government of Joe Biden In the US, it has the “southcom floating dock” label, an apparent reference to South Command of the United Statesalso known as Southcom.
Another representation, dated June 2024, shows the logo of the International Narcotics Agency and Law application (INL, for its acronym), of the United States Department of State; and the name of the project “Containers equipped for the Special Anti -Narcotics Unit of Ecuador and the DEA”. The project is described as an “international collaboration with the US Embassy”.
After the arrival of Trump To power on January 20, 2025, the projects continued.
In that sense, the National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt told CNN that Trump is “firmly committed to strengthening bilateral safety cooperation with Ecuadoreven through the recent agreement in Blanketand is considering expanding our combined efforts against transnational criminal organizations. ”
In 1999, the United States military settled at a base In Manta under a cooperation agreement for the fight against drug trafficking. In 2009, the government of Rafael Correa He decided not to renew the agreement and the foreign forces left the country.
Belt He argued that national sovereignty was a priority and that it would not allow foreign bases in the country unless Ecuador I could establish a similar in US territory.
A policeman set up a guard during an operation in the neighborhood where at least 22 people were killed in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on March 7, 2025. (Photo of Marcos Pin / AFP).
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The country with the highest homicide rate
Ecuador It is the most violent country in Latin America. In 2024, he registered a rate of 38 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. The historical record occurred in 2023, with 47 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2018 he had only 6 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Homicides in Ecuador. (AFP).
As part of its strategy to fight organized crime, in January 2024 the President Noboa declared that in Ecuador there is an internal armed conflict, which allowed the deployment of military in support of the police work without the need to decree a state of exception.
Besides, He declared 22 criminal gangs as terrorist organizations.
Noboa has publicly requested the Trump administration to designate these Ecuadorian criminal gangs as terrorist organizations. This designation could empower the US government to use military force abroad in order to combat these groups.
The Ecuadorian president met Saturday with Trump in Florida.
The General Secretariat of the Presidency of Ecuador reported that the meeting “was friendly and private”, and did not reveal the issues discussed.
Security and Electoral Strategy
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, his counterpart from Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, during meeting, in Palm Beach, Florida, US
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Fernando Carriónacademic of the Department of Political Studies of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Ecuador and specialist in issues, he told Commerce that the possible arrival of military from USA To his country he has two readings: “One of a political-electoral nature, because The people who choose demand greater presence of armed forces, the police, whether national or international, Then in that sense it has a positive sign. ”
“Second, on the basis of Blanket First you have to see the electoral results on April 13, depending on who will win or not. Anyway, the current president is moving along that line … Without a doubt, a naval base could help in the fight against drug trafficking, because the exit of the drug of Ecuador goes mainly by the Pacific Ocean, and then this would somehow mean a control for that, ”Carrión noted.
Regarding the Classification as terrorists to Ecuadorian bandsCarrión considered that if it occurs there will be more support to Ecuador.
He added that in his country there is no fear that unilateral actions can be given by the United States if he decides to act against the bands considered terrorists, “probably because we are not a border country.”
Andrés Gómez de la Torrespecialist in defense and intelligence issues, he remembered Commerce that Ecuador has already been receiving cooperation and logistics from the United States from the government from the government of Biden. “There is a bipartisan consensus in the United States in supporting Ecuador for the fight against organized crime.”
“This alignment and closeness policy of Daniel Noboa Towards the United States, which also has another internal reading: distancing itself from the complex relationships Rafael Correa had with Washington. You have to remember that He ended the so -called Manta Agreements of 1999, signed by President Yamil Mahuad For advanced anti -narcotics, ”said Gómez de la Torre.
He stressed that We will not necessarily see in the streets to the United States military in joint operations with Ecuadorian forces against gangsbut there will be collaboration through advisors and logistics.
Regarding the possibility that the United States declares Terrorists To the Ecuadorian bands, Gómez de la Torre estimated that The chonerosthe strongest criminal group in the country will enter that category to unlock the possibility of greater cooperation and intervention in the United States in Ecuadorian territory.
“It is a great diplomatic offensive and bold security policy of Noboa. First sought to converge with Eric Princefounder of Blackwaterto make support in private security. In addition to having a great infrastructure, Prince is a very attractive key because he is a man quite close to Trump. Second, migration diplomacy, where Ecuador has already afraid decisions that can be made against its citizens in the United States In these times of immigrant deportations, ”said Gómez de la Torre.
The analyst said that this foreign and security policy strategy also has a correlation depending on the Electoral campaign for the elections of April 13, where Noboa It is presented as an efficient strategist against crime, which is the issue that most worries Ecuadorians.
Before leaving for Florida, Noboa spoke on Friday to improve relationships between Ecuador and UNID statesyou. “We are one of the few countries where cooperation programs are being resumed,” he told Radio Centro. “We are working in security, to generate employment so that people do not leave. And the United States has honored that relationship,” he added.
Gangs that allied with the drug traffickers
Adolfo Macías, aka Fito, leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, while he was transferred to the maximum security complex in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on August 12, 2023. Months later escaped from jail. (Photo of Ecuador’s armed forces / AFP).
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The wave of criminality that has turned Ecuador In the most violent country in Latin America it has its roots in the Strengthening drug trafficking and organized crime in the region.
In recent years, Ecuador went from being a transit country to becoming a key point for the storage and export of cocainemainly to the United States and Europe.
Factors such as the little surveillance of its borders, institutional weakness and corruption contributed to the growth of criminal gangs, which They have expanded and have gained firepower after allying with Méxicanos cartels such as that of Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación, and with Europeans such as the Albanian mafia.
The territorial dispute between the local gangs of the cartels has caused a Alarming Homicide Increasekidnappings, extortion and attacks with explosives.
Among the strongest criminal gangs are The choneroswhich began as a group dedicated to drug trafficking and sicariate, but that has diversified its activities to kidnapping and extortion. His leadership has been fragmented after the death of his leader Jorge Luis Zambrano, aka ‘Rasquiña‘, which has generated internal disputes and greater violence in the streets and prisons of the country. They are allies of the Sinaloa cartel.
Another of the most feared bands is The wolvesa split of the Choneros that has grown rapidly in recent years, establishing a strong presence in different provinces of Ecuador. They are linked to the Jalisco Nueva Generación cartel And they are responsible for multiple murders, attacks with explosives and prison riots that have left hundreds of deaths.
Other organizations such as Tiguerones, Chone Killers and Eagles They have also gained notoriety.
Camilo Ponce Enriqueza mining canton of the province of Azuay, had the highest homicide rate in 2024, with 170.98 per 100,000 inhabitants. In 2023 it was the town of The Piedrerolocated between Guayas and Cañar, with 128.85 violent deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
