Sun Nov 16 19:02:45 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the provided text:
Ecuador Votes on Lifting Foreign Military Ban as Noboa Seeks US Aid Against Cartels
Quito, Ecuador – Ecuadorians headed to the polls Sunday to vote on a controversial referendum that could lift the constitutional ban on foreign military bases, a move championed by President Daniel Noboa as he seeks assistance from the United States in battling escalating drug-related violence.
Nearly 14 million citizens cast ballots on a series of questions, including the contentious issue of foreign military presence and proposals to reduce the number of lawmakers. The vote comes as Ecuador faces an unprecedented surge in violent crime, with the homicide rate projected to reach a staggering 50 per 100,000 people this year, the highest in Latin America.
Polls indicate significant support for lifting the ban on foreign bases, potentially paving the way for the United States to return to the Manta airbase on the Pacific coast, a facility previously used for anti-narcotics operations between 1999 and 2009. Former President Rafael Correa instituted the constitutional ban.
Noboa, who took office in November 2023, has responded to the crisis with militarized crackdowns, deploying soldiers and tightening security across the country. The president also announced the capture in Spain of Wilmer Geovanny Chavarria Barre, alias “Pipo,” the leader of the notorious Los Lobos gang.
Critics, including former President Correa, argue that foreign military intervention is an insult to Ecuador’s sovereignty and that the country needs government, not foreign soldiers. The referendum also includes questions on a constituent assembly that opposition groups fear could allow Noboa to consolidate power.
Ecuador has become a key transit hub for cocaine trafficking, facilitated by its Pacific ports, proximity to coca-producing Peru and Colombia, and weak institutions.
First Piper 