16 years after the American military base of Manta, Ecuador reopens the door to the possibility of its return.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed that Washington would be willing to reinstall a military base in Ecuadorian territory if the Government of Daniel Noboa formally invites it, marking a rudder after the measure of former president Rafael Correa in 2009 of not renewing the agreement that allowed the US military presence in the province of Manta.
History of a base
The Eloy Alfaro Air Base, also known as Forward Operating Location (Fol) Manta, was a strategic point for the United States in the fight against drug trafficking in the region from 1999 to 2009.
During the government of then President Rafael Correa, a nationalist with an agenda clearly contrary to foreign military influence, decided not to renew the agreement that allowed the operation of US forces.
The action was widely supported by various indigenous and social groups that considered the military presence a threat to national sovereignty.
However, the current situation seems to have changed radically. The National Assembly of Ecuador approved last June a constitutional reform that repealed the prohibition in force since 2008 against the installation of foreign military bases.
For his part, President Daniel Noboa promotes a national referendum to decide on the reinstatement of said base, arguing the need for reinforced international cooperation to combat the growing organized crime and transnational threats.
Marco Rubio and the Strategic Security Alliance
During his visit to Quito this Thursday, Rubio held a meeting with President Daniel Noboa and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabriela Sommerfeld, to strengthen bilateral security cooperation, including the eventuality of a military base.
“Ecuador is a sovereign country, if they invite us, we will consider it,” Rubio said during the press conference at the Carondelet Palace.
This announcement is given in a context of financial support from Washington to Ecuador in the fight against local organized crime, with an agreed help of almost 20 million dollars, which includes 6 million for the acquisition of drones for the Naval Force of the Andean country.
Rubio also stressed the importance of joint training to strengthen the security forces of both countries in their fight against criminal gangs and drug traffickers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m0ceq425_y
Terrorism and extradition wedge
The offensive is not only military, also diplomatic and judicial. The Noboa government, with the support of Washington, has declared terrorists to the two main criminal bands in Ecuador: Los Lobos and Los Choneros.
Through the designation, these organizations are placed under greater international scrutiny, allowing the application of more severe sanctions and blocking their financial networks.
The head of American diplomacy mentioned that these bands maintain links with Mexican posters such as Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación, causing them to fight them a transnational dimension.
In addition, for the first time since Ecuador allowed extradition to the United States, the leader of the Choneros, José Adolfo Macías Villamar, aka Fito, He was extradited to face drug trafficking charges to a extent that the close alliance and the exchange of intelligence between Quito and Washington translies.
For the South American nation, 70 % of the world cocaine production. Almost half of that volume goes to the United States.
Ecuador suffers the violence of numerous bands linked to international cartels and became the most dangerous nation in Latin America with 39 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, according to Insight Crime.
The Secretary of State said that terrorist organizations could be appointed to other comparable groups in the region, and highlighted a recent American operation in southern the Caribbean against a boat supposedly linked to drug trafficking.
The attack, which President Nicolás Maduro Tacha of fictitious operation from graphic artificial intelligence tools, has tensioned relations with Venezuela, which has served the tough scenario to mobilize his armed forces and incorporate thousands of militiamen into the defense around the government.
