Aeon Wells
South American correspondent, Quito
Reuters
Most cocaine in the world is trafficked from Ecuadorian ports
Ecuadorian President Daniel Novoa told the BBC he hopes that European and Brazilian troops will take part in a “war” against criminal gangs.
He added that he wants US President Donald Trump to designate Ecuadorian gangs as terrorist groups, as he did for the Mexican and Venezuelan cartels.
He also said Ecuadorian law is respected when asked about his recent partnership with Trump’s ally and founder of the controversial private military company Blackwater.
Violence has skyrocketed in Ecuador in recent years, with gangs fighting to control drug trafficking routes. Most of the cocaine in the world is trafficked from Ecuadorian ports.
President Novoa had previously shown that he wanted foreign military aid to support drug cartel efforts, but this is the first time he has chosen the US, Brazil and Europe.
Security – and how he handles it is the best question for voters ahead of the leaked vote in the Ecuadorian presidential election on April 13th.
Noboa defined 16 months through strict crackdowns on gangs and militarizing streets and prisons, but he is also attacked by critics who view his tactics as too strong.
During his term, the murder rate fell by about 16% between 2023 and 2024, which was much higher than the previous year, with the killings in January 2025 reaching a record 781 in a month.
This is the first time President Novoa has elected the US, Europe and Brazil in discussions about foreign military aid to fight the cartels.
In an interview with BBC News, the incumbent president said: “We need more soldiers to fight this war.”
“70% of the world’s cocaine will be ejected via Ecuador. We need the help of the international army.”
He said what began as a “crime gang” was a group of 14,000 armed individuals, now a “international narcoterrorist” group.
With Donald Trump’s decision to designate several Latin American cartels as terrorist groups, we have given law enforcement even more power to fight them.
Novoa told the BBC he wanted his US counterpart to do the same thing as the Ecuadorian gang.
Novoa has already ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek a cooperation agreement with the “Allied Powers” to support the Ecuadorian police and the army, and has also sought parliament’s approval to change the constitution to allow foreign military bases in Ecuador again.
I hope other countries will offer this, as well as constitutional changes. Deploying military forces overseas can be dangerous and expensive, but there are some precedents to that. The United States had a military base for anti-drug operations in Ecuador until 2009, but was later banned by former President Rafael Correa.
President Novore’s challenge is to persuade someone like Donald Trump in the US, or a European leader where many drugs are shipped, and to stop cartels and drug trafficking in their interests.
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Some Ecuadorians are critical of Prince Eric’s involvement, citing his record with Iraqi Blackwater
Regarding his alliance with Trump’s ally Eric Prince, which he announced a few days ago, he said: “We are fighting an unconventional city guerrilla war. He has experience.
Prince has founded Blackwater, a private military company that provides security services to the US government but is caught up in the controversy. He sold the company in 2010.
Four blackwater contractors were convicted and imprisoned for killing 14 Iraqi citizens in NISOUR Square in Baghdad in 2007, and were pardoned by Trump in 2020.
Does President Novoa want Prince to bring his mercensaries to the country?
“It’s not necessarily a mercenary,” he said. “We’re talking about the military. Special forces in us, Europe and Brazil. This could be a great help to us.”
While some supported the move, some Ecuadorians cited Prince’s past records and feared the country’s rights abuse.
When asked about some of Eric Prince’s past controversies, Novore said that Ecuadorian law must be respected and that war must be legally carried out.
However, he added that the cartel has “violated all human rights possible over the past five years.”
“They cut people. They raped thousands of women. They trafficked human organs. They exchanged illegal money and operated over 1,000 tonnes of cocaine a year.”
Violence has skyrocketed in Ecuador, killings reach record numbers in January
His iron fist approach occurred last year after four boys were arrested by soldiers on suspicion of theft and later turned out to be severed and burning.
Novore said those soldiers had been put in prison waiting for an investigation, but he said he would “fight to the end” to hold him accountable.
He argued that the military is acting proportionately to his crime efforts, pointing to the imbalance between his 35,000 troops and 40,000 armed gang members.
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The second round is expected to approach after Noboa wins just 0.5% votes over the first Luisa González
With the record number of killings in January, major critics have argued that his strict approach has failed.
During the campaign rally, his left-wing challenger, Luisa Gonzalez, said, “The 2023 campaign promise was supposed to be delivered in a year and a half. Not two people. Not three people.
Novoa said it was normal to see the rise in violence before his election in his country, but repeatedly said Ecuador could not fight this issue alone.
The Albania, Mexico and Colombian cartels worked together, but there was no joint security policy among countries affected by drug violence, he said.
He argued that Ecuador needs help because it has a smaller economy than many in Europe and the US, where most drugs are shipped.
He added drug trafficking and illegal mining, which generated around 27% GDP (£2.3 billion) per year in Ecuador.
He urged countries like the UK who consume more cocaine, and countries that do more to tackle this claim. “The products they consume have a chain of violence and a disastrous chain.”
Reuters
The Ecuadorians now form one of the largest groups of people who are crossing North America beyond the dangerous Darien gap
Violence and post-pandemic unemployment rates have forced many Ecuadorians to flee north.
They are now one of the top nationalities across the dangerous Darien Gap jungle from South America to North America.
President Novoa is willing to regain Ecuadorian immigration from the United States, but not other nationalities, he said the country is offering three months of technical training and a minimum wage to returnees.
For him, the solution is to improve the “opportunity.”
“As an export-based economy, we need to develop our work in Ecuador for these people.”
He said he was “100%” sympathetic to those fleeing violence, but he condemned the past “lack of strong security policies.”
What is his message for the Ecuadorians now? “Stay – you see positive results. We are reducing inflation. Companies are hiring. The economy is recovering.”
Daniel Novore will face Luisa Gonzalez next month’s leaked vote.
He earned 0.5% more votes than her in the first round, suggesting that the second round could be very close and polarised.
As security is the biggest issue for voters, his success may depend on whether the Ecuadorians think progress is sufficient.
