Ecuador legislature backs reform allowing foreign military bases
Reuters3 days
Ecuadorian Lawmakers Vote to Allow Foreign Military Bases
Above: Photo shows Ecuador's National Assembly in Quito during the second inauguration ceremony of President Daniel Noboa on May 24, 2025. Image copyright: David Diaz Arcos/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Government-critical narrative
Noboa and his allies may claim that Ecuador will be better off with foreign bases and troops in the country, but allowing foreign military bases actually threatens the country's sovereignty as they pave the way for political interference. While they speak about cooperation against crime, history shows that U.S. bases are detrimental to national and regional stability, even supporting coups.
Pro-government narrative
This constitutional reform provides essential tools, including intelligence sharing and technology transfer, for Ecuador to tackle the complex threat that sophisticated transnational criminal networks pose to the country. It's telling, though, that lawmakers who oppose this amendment are the ones who granted legal recognition to some criminal groups and allowed others to infiltrate Ecuador.