Ecuador’s Noboa Pursues Constitutional Amendment for Foreign Military Bases in the Country, Reported by Reuters

QUITO (Reuters) – Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa announced on Monday his plans to amend the constitution to permit the establishment of foreign military bases in the country. In a message posted on X, Noboa stated, "Today we will present a partial constitutional reform to the national assembly, which significantly alters article 5 of the constitution that prohibits the establishment of foreign military bases … for military purposes. In a transnational conflict, we need a coordinated national and international response."

Since 2008, Ecuador’s constitution has prohibited foreign military bases or installations for military purposes on its territory.

In January, Noboa emphasized that Ecuador is engaged in an internal struggle to combat violence stemming from gangs involved in drug trafficking.

"We are rebuilding the country that was left on its knees, the country that became a hub for drug trafficking, handed over to the mafias under a misguided notion of sovereignty," he stated in a video recorded at the Manta military base.

Historically, the United States operated a military base in the coastal city of Manta to combat drug trafficking. However, former President Rafael Correa ordered U.S. troops to depart in 2009.