Project Syndicate

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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.

QUITO – While US President Donald Trump’s administration claims that its aggressive strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean are vital to regional security, experts are accusing US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth of war crimes for his authorization of a “double-tap” strike targeting survivors of such an attack. But Trump’s militarized “war on drugs,” and the logic underlying it, faced another, less-noticed rebuke recently – this one coming from Ecuador.

A November 16 referendum pushed by right-wing President Daniel Noboa posed four questions to Ecuadorian voters. Two questions – whether to reduce the size of the country’s parliament (which is already relatively small by international standards) and to cut public funding to political parties – were demagogic appeals to a population that is mistrustful of politicians. But voters roundly rejected both measures, with 53.7% and 58.3% majorities, respectively. Perhaps they saw the Trump-style self-dealing behind Noboa’s populist rhetoric: heir to one of Ecuador’s largest fortunes, he can easily bankroll his own party, but the same cannot necessarily be said for his competition, particularly on the left.

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