Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said he wants special forces troops from the United States, Brazil, and Europe to come to his country and help his government fight a war against drug gangs.
Noboa, from the National Democratic Action (ADN) coalition, is facing a runoff vote against Luisa González of the leftist Citizen Revolution Movement in Ecuador’s presidential election on April 13, with crime and security among the top issues.
He said that what began as criminal groups have now become international narco-terrorist organizations with up to 14,000 armed members.
Trump has promised to fight narcotics trafficking in Latin America and has targeted the smuggling of fentanyl across the border from Mexico.
‘We Need Help’
Noboa told the BBC, “We need to have more soldiers to fight this war. Seventy percent of the world’s cocaine exits via Ecuador. We need the help of international forces.”On March 12, Noboa announced a strategic alliance with Erik Prince, founder of private military contractor Blackwater, to tackle crime and narcoterrorism in Ecuador.
The following day Ecuadorian Interior Minister John Reimberg said Ecuador’s security forces would “very soon” receive advice from Prince.
“Erik Prince’s group will help us and we are going to do what it takes to achieve it. It’s everything we have to do, we don’t rule out absolutely anything,” Reimberg said on March 13. “People will come who are prepared to give the necessary support to our police and military forces to get out of this crime problem.”
A car bomb outside a prison in the city of Guayaquil on March 13 killed a prison guard. Reimberg said it was a reaction to the Blackwater news.
“That’s fear about what we are willing to do to reduce crime,” Reimberg said.
When Noboa was asked if he planned to hire mercenaries to tackle the issue, he said, “Not necessarily mercenaries. We are talking about armies. US, European, Brazilian special forces. This could be a great help for us.”
Lasso, who was facing impeachment, was later removed from office. Noboa narrowly defeated González in the October 2023 election and served the remainder of Lasso’s truncated term. He is now seeking reelection for a full term to run until 2029.
Cartels ‘Trafficked Human Organs’
Noboa told the BBC that Ecuadorian cartels had “violated every single human right possible for the last five years.”“They’ve mutilated people. They’ve raped thousands of women. They’ve trafficked human organs. They’ve traded illegal gold. And moved more than 1,000 tonnes of cocaine a year,” he said.
He also claimed gangs such as Los Lobos were working with Mexican and Colombian cartels and Albanian organized crime groups in Europe.
Noboa—whose businessman father Alvaro unsuccessfully ran for president five times—is heir to one of Ecuador’s biggest business fortunes.
During election campaigning, Noboa has said his government has cut violent deaths by 15 percent since last year, captured several gang leaders, and reduced violence in the country’s prisons.
González said, “The campaign promises made in 2023 were to be delivered in a year and a half. Not two. Not three. Did he deliver? No!”
González has said she opposes the presence of foreign troops in Ecuador and has promised to go after corrupt judges and prosecutors while increasing spending to address social deprivation in areas where gangs recruit members.
