Ecuadoreans have voted against allowing the return of foreign military bases in the country, frustrating US hopes of expanding its presence in the Eastern Pacific region.
The referendum result is a blow to Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa, who had campaigned to change the constitution in order to reverse a ban that the country's legislature passed in 2008.
He argued that such a move would enhance efforts to combat organized crime and tackle the soaring violence that has plagued Ecuador in recent years, transforming it into a major drug-trafficking hotspot.
The US had anticipated that the referendum would facilitate the re-establishment of a military base, 16 years after it was forced to close a site on Ecuador's Pacific coast.
While Ecuador does not produce cocaine, its prominent ports and geographical proximity to Colombia and Peru, the world's leading cocaine producers, make it an attractive target for drug-trafficking organizations. President Noboa contended that approximately 70% of the world's cocaine transits through Ecuador.
Noboa's presidency has been marked by aggressive military strategies against criminal gangs, including deploying armed soldiers onto the streets. Supporters commend these measures as vital in combating crime, while critics claim that the government has resorted to authoritarian practices.
The US military base on Ecuador's Pacific coast was shut down after former President Rafael Correa opted not to renew its lease and promoted a constitutional ban adopted by legislators.
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem recently toured military facilities in Ecuador with Noboa, with Noboa expressing interests in inviting foreign "armies" to aid in a so-called "war" against narcotic gangs.
The referendum also saw voters reject proposals to terminate public funding for political parties, decrease the number of Congress members, and create a constitutional assembly to revise Ecuador's constitution. Noboa maintained that a new constitution would allow for more stringent penalties for criminals and bolster border security, but critics argued this wouldn’t address deeper societal issues such as insecurity and inadequate access to education and healthcare.
In response to the outcome of the vote, Noboa affirmed his intention to "respect" the democratic decision.
On the referendum day, authorities captured Wilmer 'Pipo' Chavarria, the head of one of Ecuador's major drug-trafficking groups, Los Lobos, in collaboration with Spanish police.
Both Ecuador and the US classify Los Lobos as a terrorist organization according to domestic law.
This referendum takes place amid heightened military activity from the US in the Caribbean, including significant deployments and strikes on alleged drug-trafficking vessels, although human rights experts have raised concerns regarding the legality of these operations.
Many observers interpret the US's military buildup in the region as a strategy not only to combat drug trafficking but also as an effort to exert pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom they accuse of being at the forefront of a narcotics trafficking organization.
