Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa ordered the closure of the country’s borders on Monday, one day before and two days after the upcoming general elections on Sunday, in which he is running for re-election. He justified the measure as a response to attempts at destabilization by armed groups.

In a brief message posted on X (formerly Twitter), the president ordered the reinforcement of military presence on the country’s northern and southern borders “in response to attempts at destabilization by armed groups,” without providing further details or identifying them. He specified that the measure would be in effect from February 8 to 10, during which “the borders will remain closed.”

The elections, in which Noboa is seeking re-election for a four-year term, will take place on Sunday, February 9. Noboa has focused his government policy on the fight against violence, and since January 2024, the country has been under an internal armed conflict state, which allows the mobilization of the military for security tasks.

The president also ordered the military to take control of “the ports immediately,” without providing further explanation for the decision. The ports have been identified as key departure points for large quantities of drugs, particularly cocaine from Colombia, destined for the United States and Europe, among others. Last year, the Ecuadorian police seized approximately 294 tons of drugs.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sent a message to Parliament on Monday, marking the opening of the legislative year, in which he celebrated the “extraordinary opportunities” presented by the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU).

The agreement, announced last December, “creates the largest free trade market in the world, opens extraordinary opportunities for Brazil and its neighbors,” and was reached “in a geopolitical context of growing protectionism and unilateralism,” Lula emphasized in his message, which was read during a solemn session of Parliament.

Negotiations between the EU and Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay, with Bolivia in the final stages of joining) had been ongoing for 25 years, concluded last December, and are now in the process of technical review and ratification.

On the external front, Lula also reaffirmed his defense of “multilateralism” in international relations and, on the domestic front, proposed “dialogue and respect” with Parliament to strengthen democracy and economic growth.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric and Uruguay’s elected president, Yamandú Orsi, held their first meeting on Monday, where both agreed to work towards a “more united” Latin America and share experiences in opening new markets.

“Starting March 1, we will be partners in a longer journey, one of ideals, convictions, and, as he (Orsi) rightly said, fighting for a more united Latin America. Especially when we face such powerful threats,” Boric said to the press in the Canelones department (province).

In this regard, the Chilean president emphasized that integration should “not just be rhetoric,” but that countries should progress in blocks, and expressed a desire for a “closer” relationship between Chile and Mercosur.

In this context, he pointed out that Chile can contribute its experience to the block formed by Argentina, recently joined Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, regarding the Free Trade Agreement with the European Union that has been in place in Chile for two decades.