Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, a long-term ally of Donald Trump, welcomed the operation as a vital step in dismantling criminal networks. However, the move has ignited fierce opposition from local political figures and international observers. Former President Rafael Correa and former governor Gabriela Rivadeneira have denounced the presence of foreign forces, citing Ecuador’s constitutional prohibition on foreign military bases—a policy voters explicitly supported in a national referendum last year. Critics argue the intervention serves broader geopolitical interests, specifically access to oil and energy resources, rather than a genuine effort to curb the drug trade.
In section Newsroom
US Troops Deploy to Ecuador in Expanded Drug War Campaign
Two months after securing Venezuela, the Pentagon has launched a joint military operation in Ecuador to combat narco-terrorism. The deployment of ground troops marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration's Operation Southern Spear, shifting from maritime airstrikes to direct intervention on sovereign soil.
Legal experts and activists warn that the deployment carries grave human rights risks. Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, expressed concern that troops may be authorized to execute suspects rather than pursue legal detention. Meanwhile, the region remains a high-stakes "cocaine superhighway" plagued by violent turf wars. This intervention follows a pattern of recent U.S. military strikes across the globe, with Ecuador becoming the latest nation to host a Trump-led campaign, deepening historical anxieties regarding U.S. involvement in Latin American governance.
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