The constitutional reform would directly benefit the United States and its geopolitical ambitions to use the Galapagos Islands.

On Tuesday, Ecuadorian lawmakers approved a measure that will allow the installation of foreign military bases in the Andean country — a possibility that would directly benefit the United States and its geopolitical ambitions to use the Galapagos Islands.

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With 82 votes in favor, 60 against and 6 abstentions, the right-leaning National Assembly amended Article 5 of Ecuador’s Constitution, which previously declared the country a territory of peace and explicitly prohibited foreign military bases.

Minutes later, the Indigenous political party Pachakutik’s national coordination rejected the constitutional reform, which passed with the support of some of its own legislators. The party’s full statement is presented below:

The text reads, “So now we’re going to have well-being and peace? Why are we getting a U.S. base? This time we’re really going to fulfill our dream? People are truly naive. They’ve been deceived so many times by right-wing neolibertarian lies, and yet we’re still in misery. Colombia, with seven joint military bases with the U.S., remains the Latin American largest drug producer and one of the most insecure countries. When are they going to understand that this has nothing to do with laws or bases, but rather with the use of public investment resources?”

“The National Assembly has finally approved a constitutional reform that authorizes the installation of foreign military bases. This not only undermines our national sovereignty as a country, it also allows the Noboa administration to deceive Ecuadorians with empty promises about fighting drug trafficking groups.

There is ample experience in neighboring countries that have also fallen victim to drug cartels, facing similar or even worse levels of violence, where more than one foreign military base was installed — with almost no results. Even when some of the most visible cartel leaders were captured or killed, the cartels continued to grow. In many cases, foreign military personnel ended up joining the cartels or profiting from the war.

Additionally, these foreign military forces were used to suppress social and political sectors opposed to the ruling governments, and to monitor territories granted to foreign mining and oil companies.

The government has so far only mentioned possible cooperation agreements with two countries — the United States and Israel. In the current international context, the former is pushing a military conflict with Russia and an economic one with China, while the latter is carrying out a war of extermination against the Palestinian people in Gaza. It is not speculation to state that, given Noboa’s subservience, he may ultimately drag Ecuador into an international war.

By definition, Pachakutik and the Indigenous movement have defended national sovereignty not as an abstract right, but as an effective way to protect our territories, national and local economies, the human and political rights of Ecuadorians, and peace and neutrality in international conflicts.

These are our principles and ethics of struggle, which is why we openly reject the vote of Pachakutik assembly members who, guided by blindness or political opportunism, are voting alongside the neoliberal government.

That is not why grassroots organizations or voters supported their candidacies. If that was their vision from the beginning, it would have been more honest for them to run under the ruling party, the National Democratic Alliance, rather than tarnishing the historic struggle of the people.”

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: Pachakutik – EFE

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