Loffredo indicated that they are studying the possibility of carrying out sustained operations along the northern border, with teams capable of acting against “targets of opportunity” detected during patrols or overflights, as well as the possibility of establishing unified command posts.

The operations will be joint not only with Colombia but also with the United States, the minister, who announced an upcoming visit to Quito by the head of the Southern Command, Francis Donovan, stated.

The expansion of this cooperation comes as social and political sectors question Washington’s growing military involvement in Ecuador and warn of its implications for national sovereignty.

Political scientist and activist Eduardo Meneses, of the Coordinator for Peace, Sovereignty, Integration, and Non-Interference (CPAZ), believes this strategy goes beyond the fight against drug trafficking.

“We are at a point where an operation is practically equivalent to a military base in Ecuador,” Meneses stated in an interview with Prensa Latina.

The analyst also questioned the recently enacted agreement that regulates the entry and temporary stay of US military personnel, civilians, and contractors, granting them immunities and privileges that limit the Ecuadorian state’s ability to control these individuals.

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