Ecuador’s voters have seemingly rejected a proposal to allow the return of foreign military bases with the stated mission of helping the South American nation combat drug cartels.With 80% of votes counted, just over 60% of voters said “No” to the measure.“We respect the will of the Ecuadoran people,” President Daniel Noboa said in a short statement on X after the vote count showed that the referendum was on track to fail.The question about foreign military bases was one of four posed in a referendum on Sunday.Other questions posed to voters concern ending public funding for political parties, reducing the number of lawmakers and creating an elected body that would draft a new constitution.A “No” vote would be a major blow to Noboa, who was seeking popular support for his war on drugs through stricter laws and greater executive power.
Why does Noboa want foreign military bases?
Noboa has argued that foreign bases, banned in 2008, are necessary to tackle surging violence triggered by turf wars and side hustles of drug-trafficking gangs.The country is struggling to defeat organized crime syndicates on its own.Noboa’s government had already held talks with the United States and Brazil about the possibility of those countries stationing troops in Ecuador.Earlier in November, Noboa gave US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a tour of the Manta military base along Ecuador’s coast.The US military previously maintained a base in Manta from 1999 through 2009.
How bad is Ecuador’s drug cartel problem?
Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru, two of the world’s largest producers of coca, the raw material used to manufacture cocaine.Because of this, Ecuador has “long served as a transit corridor” in the global narcotic supply chain, writes the International Crisis Group in a new analysis of Ecuador’s battle with organized crime.In the first half of this year, Ecuador saw 4,619 murders. This was the “highest in recent history,” according to the country’s Organized Crime Observatory.
What were the proposed changes to Ecuador’s constitution?
Regarding drafting a new constitution, so far more than 61% have voted against the proposal.Noboa had argued that the current constitution, at 400-plus articles, is too long and has “many errors.”But he didn’t clearly state what parts of the current constitution he would like to change.This led to accusations that he wants to consolidate power and curb rights.Nearly 14 million Ecuadorans were eligible to cast ballots on the four referendum questions.
