US EditionUS security chief tours military bases in Ecuador before referendum
Kristi Noem inspects potential U.S. Department of Homeland Security bases amid a referendum on foreign bases, with homicides up over 600% in six years, officials said.
- On Wednesday, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem arrived in Manta to tour the Eloy Alfaro air base, assessing sites for potential Department of Homeland Security offices.
- Ecuadorians must approve in a referendum set for November 16 whether to allow foreign bases, a long-standing constitutional ban that the president called on September 19.
- Rising homicide rates and regional anti-narcotics operations inform the cooperation, as about twenty drug gangs in Ecuador linked to international cartels intensify crime, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo said Ecuador lacks needed resources.
- A presidential spokesperson said joint operations would involve Ecuadorian police and military forces, and both countries ruled out a Galápagos base, limiting scope.
- The Salinas visit on Thursday comes as the Department of Homeland Security, whose roles include counterterrorism, border control and migration management, evaluates strategic facilities.
37 Articles
37 Articles
Reforma
eldiariodechihuahua.mxThe United States is interested in setting up offices of its department of National Security in facilities in Ecuador.
Chicago Tribune
Independent EspañolQUITO (AP) — Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa showed U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem an airport and military facilities in the South American country on Wednesday where a U.S. military base could potentially be established to combat drug trafficking and organized crime. Last Friday, the president indicated that Ecuador is seeking agreements with the United States and Brazil to establish military bases to fight organized crime, as t…
A little before 15:40 this Wednesday, November 5, 2025, arrived at the Eloy Alfaro Air Base in Manabí, the secretary of National Security of the United States, Kristi Noem.
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