US and European armies should join our war on gangs, Ecuador president tells BBC

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa has told the BBC helium wants US, European and Brazilian armies to articulation his "war" against transgression gangs.

He added helium wants US President Donald Trump to designate Ecuadorean gangs arsenic violent groups, arsenic helium has done for immoderate Mexican and Venezuelan cartels.

He besides said Ecuadorean instrumentality would beryllium respected erstwhile asked astir his caller concern with Erik Prince, an state of Trump and laminitis of arguable backstage subject steadfast Blackwater.

Violence has soared successful Ecuador successful caller years, with gangs battling to power cause trafficking routes. Most of the world's cocaine is trafficked done Ecuador's ports.

President Noboa has antecedently indicated helium would similar overseas subject assistance to assistance tackle cause cartels – but this is the archetypal clip helium has singled retired the US, Brazil and Europe.

Security – and however helium is dealing with it – is simply a apical contented for voters up of a run-off ballot successful Ecuador's statesmanlike predetermination on 13 April.

Noboa has defined his 16 months successful bureau done a pugnacious crackdown connected gangs and militarising the streets and prisons – nevertheless helium has besides travel nether occurrence from critics who spot his tactics arsenic excessively heavy-handed.

During his term, the execution complaint decreased by astir 16% from 2023 to 2024 but it remains acold higher than erstwhile years, and successful January 2025 killings deed a grounds 781 successful 1 month.

In an interrogation with BBC News, the incumbent president said: "We request to person much soldiers to combat this war."

"Seventy per cent of the world's cocaine exits via Ecuador. We request the assistance of planetary forces."

He said what started arsenic "criminal gangs" are present "international narco-terrorist" groups of 14,000 equipped individuals.

Donald Trump's determination to designate immoderate Latin American cartels arsenic violent groups has fixed US instrumentality enforcement further powers to combat them.

Noboa told the BBC helium wants his US counterpart to bash the aforesaid with Ecuadorean gangs: "I would beryllium gladsome if helium considers Los Lobos, Los Choneros, Los Tiguerones arsenic violent groups due to the fact that that's what they truly are."

Noboa has already ordered the overseas ministry to question practice agreements with "allied nations" to enactment Ecuador's constabulary and army, and is besides seeking parliamentary support to alteration the constitution to let overseas subject bases successful Ecuador again.

As good arsenic law changes, it would necessitate different nations to beryllium consenting to connection this. Deploying armies overseas tin beryllium risky and costly but determination is immoderate precedent for it. The US had a subject basal for its anti-narcotic operations successful Ecuador until 2009, earlier these were banned by erstwhile President Rafael Correa.

President Noboa's situation volition beryllium convincing figures similar Donald Trump successful the US, oregon leaders successful Europe wherever galore drugs are shipped to, that it is successful their interests excessively to halt cartels and cause trafficking.

On the confederation with Trump state Erik Prince, which helium announced a fewer days ago, helium said: "We're warring an unconventional, municipality guerilla war. He has the experience. He's advising our equipped forces, our police."

Mr Prince founded the backstage subject steadfast Blackwater that has provided information services to US governments but has besides been embroiled successful controversy. He sold the institution successful 2010.

Four Blackwater contractors were convicted and jailed for sidesplitting 14 Iraqi citizens successful Baghdad's Nisour Square successful 2007 and were aboriginal pardoned by Trump successful 2020.

Does President Noboa privation Mr Prince to bring mercenaries to the country?

"Not needfully mercenaries," helium said. "We are talking astir armies. US, European, Brazilian peculiar forces. This could beryllium a large assistance for us."

While immoderate supported the move, immoderate Ecuadoreans cited Mr Prince's past grounds and feared rights abuses successful the country.

When asked astir immoderate of Erik Prince's past controversies, Mr Noboa said Ecuador's laws indispensable beryllium respected and warfare conducted legally.

But, helium added, cartels had "violated each azygous quality close imaginable for the past 5 years".

"They've mutilated people. They've raped thousands of women. They've trafficked quality organs. They've traded amerciable gold. And moved much than 1,000 tonnes of cocaine a year."

Last year, his iron-fist attack came nether occurrence aft four boys were arrested by soldiers implicit an alleged theft and aboriginal recovered mutilated and burned.

Noboa said those soldiers were successful jailhouse pending an probe but that helium would "fight until the end" to convict those responsible.

He maintained the equipped forces were acting proportionately successful tackling transgression and noted an imbalance betwixt his 35,000-strong subject and 40,000 equipped pack members.

With the grounds fig of killings successful January, starring critics reason his strict attack is failing.

During a run rally, his left-wing challenger Luisa González said: "The run promises made successful 2023 were to beryllium delivered successful a twelvemonth and a half. Not two. Not three. Did helium deliver? No!"

Noboa said it was mean to spot rising unit earlier elections successful his country, but reiterated that Ecuador could not combat this occupation alone: "This is simply a transnational transgression without a transnational information policy."

While Albanian, Mexican and Colombian cartels worked together, determination was not a associated information argumentation among countries affected by cause violence, helium said.

Ecuador needs help, helium argued, due to the fact that its system is smaller than galore successful Europe oregon the US wherever astir drugs are shipped to.

He added cause trafficking and amerciable mining generated $30bn (£23bn) – astir 27% of GDP – annually successful Ecuador.

He urged countries wherever depletion of cocaine is high, similar the UK, to bash much to tackle this arguing: "The merchandise they're consuming has a concatenation of unit and misery."

Violence and post-pandemic unemployment person driven galore Ecuadoreans to fly northward.

They are present 1 of the apical nationalities crossing the unsafe Darien Gap jungle from South to North America.

President Noboa is consenting to instrumentality backmost Ecuadorean migrants from the US, but not different nationalities, and said the state was giving returnees method grooming and a minimum wage for 3 months.

For him, the solution is improving "opportunities".

"We request to develop, arsenic an export-based economy, jobs successful Ecuador for these people."

While helium said helium "100%" empathised with radical fleeing violence, helium blamed a past "lack of beardown information policy".

His connection to Ecuadoreans now? "Stay - and you'll spot affirmative results. We're reducing inflation. Companies are hiring. The system is recovering."

Daniel Noboa volition look Luisa González successful the run-off ballot adjacent month.

He received lone 0.5% much votes than her successful the archetypal round, suggesting the 2nd circular could beryllium precise adjacent and polarising.

With information the apical contented for voters, his occurrence – oregon not – whitethorn beryllium connected whether Ecuadoreans deliberation advancement has been bully enough.