The United States has deployed military personnel to an Ecuadorian air force base to conduct joint military activities with Ecuador’s armed forces. The move is seen as an expansion of U.S. military operations from the Caribbean into mainland South America.
The U.S. Embassy in Ecuador stated on December 17 (local time) that U.S. Air Force personnel are participating in a temporary operation alongside the Ecuadorian Air Force. On the same day, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said that joint operations with U.S. forces would strengthen the country’s national security capabilities.
U.S. personnel are expected to be stationed at the Eloy Alfaro Air Base in Manta, a facility that had previously been used by the U.S. military before being returned to Ecuador. Last month, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem visited Ecuador and inspected the base during a security consultation. With this deployment, the United States is extending its military activities beyond the Caribbean and into the South American mainland.
Ecuador borders Colombia, and the deployment is taking place amid broader shifts in U.S. security strategy in Latin America. Given Ecuador’s geographic position, with Colombia lying between Ecuador and Venezuela, the move is viewed as having implications for the regional security environment.
The Manta base hosted U.S. forces for roughly a decade until their withdrawal in 2009, following a constitutional reform promoted by the left-leaning government of former President Rafael Correa that prohibited foreign military bases and the permanent presence of foreign troops. After the inauguration of President Lenín Moreno in 2017, Ecuador gradually shifted toward a more pro-Western foreign policy. In 2023, the administration of former President Guillermo Lasso signed a military cooperation agreement with the United States allowing limited use of Ecuadorian military facilities. President Noboa has since further strengthened security cooperation with Washington.
However, public resistance to the presence of foreign troops remains strong in Ecuador. In a national referendum held last month, a proposed constitutional amendment to allow the return of foreign military presence was rejected by 60.84 percent of voters. In response, the U.S. Embassy emphasized that the current deployment is a temporary measure conducted in accordance with Ecuadorian law and existing bilateral agreements.
