Ecuador plans two US bases pending foreign military ban referendum

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 15:09

Ecuador plans to host two US bases in Manta and Salinas if voters approve a constitutional reform lifting the ban on foreign military installations.

Listen

United States Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, greeted by Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa, tours Ulpiano Paez Air Base, on November 6, 2025, in Salinas, Ecuador (AP)

Ecuador’s government is preparing to authorize the establishment of two United States bases, one military and one focused on security operations, if voters approve a constitutional reform lifting the nation’s ban on foreign military installations in a national referendum this Sunday, teleSUR reported.

Interior Minister John Reimberg confirmed that the proposed facilities would be located in Manta and Salinas, two strategic port cities along Ecuador’s Pacific coast. Both locations were inspected last week by US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, marking her second visit to Ecuador in less than three months.

Reimberg explained that one of the bases would be operated by the US Department of Homeland Security, emphasizing its role in public safety, counterterrorism, border control, and cybersecurity.

“We want to strike hard against criminal groups. Working jointly at two bases where our personnel can share information is what we need,” Reimberg told Radio Centro in Guayaquil.

Constitutional reform and foreign presence

The proposal hinges on a constitutional amendment that would overturn Ecuador’s long-standing prohibition on foreign military installations, introduced under former President Rafael Correa to preserve national sovereignty. The amendment will be put to a popular vote this Sunday.

Ecuador has a history of hosting US forces. During World War II, the US maintained a base in the Galapagos Islands, and from 1999 to 2009, it operated an alleged anti-drug surveillance base in Manta, which was shut down after the 2008 Constitution came into force.

Following her two-day trip, Noem described Ecuador as an “excellent partner” in joint efforts against drug trafficking, irregular migration, and maritime smuggling, underscoring Washington’s intent to strengthen its footprint in the eastern Pacific. Reimberg also noted that Salinas, the westernmost city on Ecuador’s mainland, holds “high strategic value” for confronting organized crime at sea.

Rising violence and domestic unrest

The move comes as Ecuador faces one of the worst security crises in its modern history. Criminal organizations linked to drug trafficking have diversified into extortion, kidnapping, and illegal mining, leading to spiraling violence despite the government’s militarized response.

President Daniel Noboa declared an “internal armed conflict” in early 2024, designating the country’s powerful gangs as terrorist organizations. Yet the situation has continued to deteriorate: 4,619 homicides were recorded in the first half of 2025, a 47% increase compared to the same period last year.

Amid this unrest, domestic rights groups have documented over 390 human rights violations during nationwide strikes and protests, fueling criticism that Noboa’s security-heavy policies are eroding civil liberties while failing to restore public order.

Deepening dependency, entrenching militarized solutions

The return of US military infrastructure to Ecuador would mark not a step toward stability, but a troubling regression in the region’s struggle for sovereignty.

Far from addressing the roots of violence, Washington’s renewed foothold in Manta and Salinas risks deepening dependency and entrenching militarized solutions that have already failed across Latin America.

As Ecuadorians weigh the referendum, they are not merely voting on security policy; they are deciding whether to once again open their coasts and their politics to a foreign power whose interventions have too often served strategic interests in Washington, not the welfare of the region.

If voters back the constitutional reform on Sunday, the decision would mark a dramatic shift in Ecuador’s defense posture, opening the door for increased US militarization of the region, sixteen years after the last American troops were expelled from Manta.