U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg shake hands during a press conference at the Carondelet Palace in Quito, Ecuador, during her previous visit on July 31. File Photo by Jose Jacome/EPA
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem toured facilities at the former U.S. military base in Manta, in Manabí province, to evaluate a possible foreign military presence in the country.
The visit is part of a technical review that the two governments have carried out since the beginning of the year. Manta and Salinas are possible sites for expanded security cooperation.
According to an official statement from the Ecuadorian government, the discussions included assessing the use of existing infrastructure for “potential bases” under a framework that has not yet been made public.
The possible establishment of a U.S. base marks a shift in Ecuador’s defense policy, which has explicitly prohibited foreign military forces on its territory since 2008.
To change that rule, the Noboa administration is promoting a constitutional reform to allow foreign troops in the country. It will be put to a referendum Nov. 16.
The base in Manta was used by the United States from 1999 to 2009 as a counter-narcotics operations hub, until the agreement was canceled during Rafael Correa’s presidency.
The Noboa government contends that expanded military cooperation would help confront the rise of organized crime and transnational trafficking, which are at the center of the country’s security agenda.
In recent years, Ecuador has experienced a rapid deterioration in security, marked by the rise of criminal groups linked to drug trafficking, disputes over strategic routes and ports, and episodes of extreme violence, including prison riots, kidnappings and targeted killings.
The homicide rate — which surged to record levels in 2023 — made the country one of the most dangerous in the region and led the Noboa government to declare states of emergency and launch military operations to regain territorial control.
However, the proposal to establish a foreign military base in Ecuador could face internal resistance.
According to a national survey by the firm Clima Social, 43% of Ecuadorians surveyed oppose the installation of foreign military bases, compared with 38% who support it, the Ecuadorian digital outlet Primera Plana reported.
The poll contrasts with remarks by Gabriela Sommerfeld, Ecuador’s minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, who said Sept. 24 that an overwhelming majority of Ecuadorians — about 75% — support a U.S. military base returning to the country.
No formal agreement or timeline has been announced for a potential base. Talks are expected to continue after the referendum, which will determine whether Ecuador will lift the constitutional ban in place since 2008.
Meanwhile, the Noboa administration has strengthened its ties with the United States in areas such as intelligence, maritime control and efforts against transnational criminal organizations.
