Bring in the Cavalry

Ecuador will seek foreign military aid to combat drug cartels and organized crime groups in the South American country, officials said this week, as authorities continue to grapple with rising violent crime, the Associated Press reported.

On Wednesday, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa ordered the foreign ministry to create cooperation agreements with “allied nations” that would allow “the incorporation of special forces” to aid Ecuador’s security forces.

The arrangement did not specify which countries Ecuador is asking for security assistance.

The proposal comes weeks after Noboa won the first round of presidential elections, with the second vote scheduled in April.

It also comes as Ecuador struggles with a spike in violence tied to the trafficking of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru. Mexican, Colombian, and Balkan cartels operate in the country with help from local gangs.

Noboa’s administration has managed to reduce the homicide rate from 46.18 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 38.76 per 100,000 people last year. Despite the dip, it remained far higher than the rate of 6.85 killings per 100,000 people recorded in 2019.

Security analysts said the request is a temporary measure that would see foreign troops help in gathering intelligence, and local security officials stop trafficking via the country’s ports.

Wednesday’s announcements came months after Ecuador’s constitutional court ruled in favor of an amendment to the constitution that would allow foreign military bases in the country.

For a decade, the United States military operated a base in Ecuador primarily dedicated to anti-narcotic operations. However, this ended in 2009 when then-President Rafael Correa terminated the agreement with the US, citing concerns over sovereignty.

The constitutional court’s decision will now be debated in the legislature and, if approved, ratified through a referendum.