Ecuador

The Trump administration has joined the Ecuadoran government’s military campaign against so-called “narco-terrorists.

Ecuador closed 2025 with a record homicide rate and mounting human rights concerns, while President Noboa appears to emulate Donald Trump’s foreign policy and his allies target the opposition. We also analyze Noboa’s referendum defeat.

An investment treaty between Ecuador and the UAE containing ISDS provisions poses risks to Ecuador’s sovereignty and may open the door to similarly harmful deals. 

By rejecting all four ballot measures in a recent referendum, Ecuadorian voters demonstrated an understanding that neither their right-wing president, Daniel Noboa, nor Donald Trump seems to share. Militarizing poor neighborhoods and inviting US troops is no way to resolve a security crisis.

After an unpopular decision to remove diesel subsidies, President Noboa is focused on winning a series of ballot measures in a referendum vote that will be held on November 16.

In his new term, Noboa has proposed a referendum and leveraged his legislative control to enact controversial laws  He also called for protests against the Constitutional Court.

President Noboa was reelected by an improbably wide and unexpected margin. In this edition, we explore possible reasons behind his victory and examine what lies ahead for Ecuador.

Miami Herald – Ecuador’s elections on Sunday unfold against a backdrop of escalating violence, including by state security forces, rising poverty, power outages and widespread public discontent.

Follow events related to Ecuador’s April 13 runoff election as they happen in real time.

Ecuador is days away from the presidential runoff. Noboa’s campaign is rocked by scandals  and an oil spill, while he continues to break electoral laws.