Ecuador votes against returning US military bases in crushing defeat for Trump-backing President Noboa.
In a stunning result, three-quarters of Ecuador's voters rejected the return of US military bases to the country, marking a major setback for newly elected President Daniel Noboa. The 'no' vote, with around 60% of the total, effectively blocks the US military from resuming its presence at Manta airbase on the Pacific coast.
The referendum came as Ecuador grapples with severe violence triggered by turf wars between cocaine smugglers and cartels transporting their illicit goods to North America, Europe, and Asia. Despite President Noboa's vow to tackle cartel violence, crime rates remain high. In the first half of this year alone, 4,619 murders took place - the highest in recent history according to Ecuador's Organized Crime Observatory.
President Noboa, who has staked his presidential ambitions on forging an alliance with US President Donald Trump and tackling cartel violence, has watched his campaign suffer a disastrous defeat. Critics say his government has made numerous false promises, eroding public trust. The president's approval rating of 56% remains significant but is not enough to shield him from this overwhelming rebuke.
In the wider context of Latin America, Ecuador has become an increasingly Trump-friendly nation, having championed US foreign policy in regional forums. However, many see President Noboa's stance on cartel violence as being misguided and counterproductive. Instead of relying on military strength, a broader consensus calls for tackling root causes like poverty and inequality.
The failure to pass the proposals to draft a new constitution also marked a defeat for President Noboa. A revised constitution would have provided him with more powers to tackle crime, curb judicial power, and reform the economy - but was overwhelmingly rejected by voters.
These outcomes are unlikely to ease concerns about rising violence in Ecuador, which has been on the rise since President Noboa took office last year.
In a stunning result, three-quarters of Ecuador's voters rejected the return of US military bases to the country, marking a major setback for newly elected President Daniel Noboa. The 'no' vote, with around 60% of the total, effectively blocks the US military from resuming its presence at Manta airbase on the Pacific coast.
The referendum came as Ecuador grapples with severe violence triggered by turf wars between cocaine smugglers and cartels transporting their illicit goods to North America, Europe, and Asia. Despite President Noboa's vow to tackle cartel violence, crime rates remain high. In the first half of this year alone, 4,619 murders took place - the highest in recent history according to Ecuador's Organized Crime Observatory.
President Noboa, who has staked his presidential ambitions on forging an alliance with US President Donald Trump and tackling cartel violence, has watched his campaign suffer a disastrous defeat. Critics say his government has made numerous false promises, eroding public trust. The president's approval rating of 56% remains significant but is not enough to shield him from this overwhelming rebuke.
In the wider context of Latin America, Ecuador has become an increasingly Trump-friendly nation, having championed US foreign policy in regional forums. However, many see President Noboa's stance on cartel violence as being misguided and counterproductive. Instead of relying on military strength, a broader consensus calls for tackling root causes like poverty and inequality.
The failure to pass the proposals to draft a new constitution also marked a defeat for President Noboa. A revised constitution would have provided him with more powers to tackle crime, curb judicial power, and reform the economy - but was overwhelmingly rejected by voters.
These outcomes are unlikely to ease concerns about rising violence in Ecuador, which has been on the rise since President Noboa took office last year.
I gotta say, it's kinda awesome that 3/4 of Ecuadorians voted against bringing back US military bases 
! Like, isn't it a good thing that people are getting more involved in politics and demanding change? It's like, we're finally seeing some real action from the voters! 
And I'm sure President Noboa will learn from this experience and figure out a way to make things better for his country 
. The fact that it was such a landslide win is just proof that people are not going to tolerate more empty promises or corruption 
. It's all about making progress and creating positive change, you know? 
so like 75% of ecuadorians dont wanna see us military bases back in 
and that's a bummer for president noboa who was all about getting american backing to tackle cartel violence 
meanwhile, crime rates are still through the roof with over 4600 murders in the first half of this year alone 
according to ecuador's organized crime observatory here's a stat: 
since noboa took office last year, violent deaths have increased by 35% 
and it looks like his approval rating of 56% just isn't enough to shield him from this crushing defeat 
what do you guys think? should america be supporting president noboa or is he just winging it with his cartels vs military approach 
. What's the turnout rate here? If it was as high as 3/4, how did they even conduct this referendum with such a low voter engagement? 
Just saying...
guess the americans werent ready to get involved again in ecuadors problems after trump's presidency ended 
poverty and inequality need way more attention than just military force or fancy new constitutions 
i mean dont get me wrong, its great that ecuadors people werent afraid to speak up against the idea of more us involvement, but at this point we should be talking about real solutions not just some tokenistic "we care" gestures 
. Ecuador's people have had enough of politicians making promises they don't keep. It's like, we all know those Trump-backing moves are gonna backfire 
. President Noboa was all about touting a tough-on-crime stance with US military support, but the reality is that violence is way more complex than just throwing in some guns and expecting things to magically get better 
might be time for a new strategy 
anyway its kinda crazy how much violence is happening in ecuador like wow 4629 murders already this year thats insane 
and i totally agree with the ppl who say that instead of relying on military strength they need to tackle the root causes like poverty and inequality 
President Noboa's gonna have his work cut out for him, that's for sure 
It just seems like more of a Band-Aid solution to me... we need to be looking at the root causes of all this violence 
ppl r fed up with cartel violence & ur "solution" is just more military presence? lol no thanks. i mean i know trump s a big fan but even he wouldn't wanna be associated w/ this mess. Ecuador deserves better than some puppet presidebt trying 2 sell out to usa interests. 
. It's time for a more nuanced approach that addresses these root causes rather than just using force 
. The US is losing influence in Latin America too, as countries start making their own decisions 
.
(but not enough to save him from this vote)
. The fact that he was so strongly backed by Trump doesn't seem to be helping him now 
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