Ecuador’s next legislature may decide on military bases

Quito, Feb 28 (Prensa Latina) The constitutional reform proposed by Ecuador's president, Daniel Noboa, to install foreign military bases in the country is still in the process of being processed in the National Assembly and it could be the next legislature that makes a decision.

February 28, 2025
08:44

The bill was approved this Thursday by the Assembly in a first debate, and returned to the Occasional Commission created to analyze the issue, which must prepare another report to be discussed in a second and final debate in the Assembly.

Assemblywoman of Citizen Revolution (RC) Gissela Garzón, who is in charge of the Commission, declared to the press that one of the alternatives is to ask for an extension. She pointed out that the next legislators, who will take office on May 14th, should be the ones to form a new commission and move forward with the report for the second debate.

In the new Assembly, the RC will have the largest number of seats, although insufficient to achieve a majority. However, it could join forces with the Pachakutik movement to deny constitutional change and prevent the establishment of foreign military bases.

In October 2024, President Noboa sent the proposal to the Assembly after the Constitutional Court’s favorable ruling on his initiative to modify Article 5 of the Constitution to eliminate the ban on foreign bases.

If Parliament supports the initiative to authorize foreign military presence in the country in two votes, citizens will then have to vote in a referendum.

The Coordinator for Peace, Sovereignty, and Non-Interference (CPAZ) expressed strong opposition to the establishment of foreign military bases in Ecuador. They announced a digital campaign aimed at defending the country’s sovereignty, dignity, and the right to determine its own future. The Coordinator stated, “Foreign military bases have not only failed to address insecurity but have also exacerbated social inequalities and diverted resources that could be invested in health, education, and development.”

CPAZ and the A World Beyond War global movement began on Thurday collecting signatures against the bases to later present them to the National Assembly. The group recalled that the Manta Base (1999-2009) demonstrated the risks of foreign military interference, including human rights violations and the lack of results in the fight against drug trafficking.

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