International
Noboa sends to Parliament reform to re-establish foreign military bases in Ecuador
The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, sent this Thursday to the National Assembly (Parliament) the constitutional reform project to open the door to the re-establishment of foreign military bases in Ecuador, prohibited by the Constitution promulgated during the term of former President Rafael Correa (2007-2017), which forced the United States to leave the Manta base in 2009.
Noboa had already announced last September its intention to promote this constitutional reform to allow the installation of foreign permanent military bases in the country again, as part of its actions in the “internal armed conflict” that it declared at the beginning of the year against organized crime.
The National Assembly must process the constitutional reform project, which if approved must be endorsed in a referendum whose celebration could coincide with one of the voting dates of the general elections scheduled for early 2025.
The reason for the re-establishment of foreign bases in Ecuador
The Presidency of Ecuador assured in a statement that it has the favorable resolution of the Constitutional Court so that this change in the magna carta is processed as a partial reform, considering the court that it does not restrict constitutional rights and guarantees, but refers only to security in Ecuador.”
“Now the process will pass into the hands of the Legislature, who must decide which side of history it will be on regarding the proposal that will strengthen international cooperation in the fight against terrorism and crime,” said the Secretariat of Communication of the Presidency.
Following the announcement of this approach made by Noboa, the United States Embassy in Ecuador clarified in September that its Government does not plan to request authorization to establish a permanent military base in the Andean country.
Agreements between Ecuador and the United States
Ecuador and the United States currently maintain maritime cooperation agreements for the capture of vessels that transport large amounts of cocaine from the Ecuadorian coast to North America.
Some of these prohibitions have been made in recent days by the United States Coast Guard in international waters, to later hand over the detainees and narcotics to the Ecuadorian authorities within their jurisdictional waters, as the Ecuadorian Navy pointed out in a recent statement.
Likewise, both countries also recently signed a commitment act for the delivery to Ecuador of two 33.5-meter-long patrol boats of the United States Coast Guard, on the condition that Ecuador takes charge of their reconditioning and transport.
Noboa’s strategy
Since the beginning of the year, Noboa raised the fight against organized crime to the category of “internal armed conflict”, with which he went on to catalog these gangs as terrorist groups and non-state belligerent actors, while decreeing a state of emergency with which, among other actions, he militarized the prisons controlled by these organizations, which he also points out for being related to drug trafficking.
Surrounded by Colombia and Peru, the world’s two largest producers of cocaine, with several ports on its coasts, such as Guayaquil, and a dollarized economy, Ecuador has become in recent years an important step for the trafficking of that drug that is mainly directed to Europe and North America.
Ecuador is listed as the third country in the world that confiscates the most drugs – only behind Colombia and the United States – with about 200 tons of narcotics per year that have been seized in each of the last three years, while in 2024 it has already exceeded that figure.
At the same time, Ecuador was positioned in 2023 as the country with the most homicides per capita in Latin America, with a rate of 47.2 per 100,000 inhabitants, while in 2024 the authorities claim to have reduced homicides by 18%.
International
Rubio rules out 2028 presidential bid if Vance runs
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not seek the presidency in 2028 if current Vice President JD Vancedecides to run as the Republican nominee to succeed President Donald Trump.
“If JD Vance runs for president, he will be our candidate, and I will be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio said in an interview with Vanity Fair, in which he appeared alongside other senior members of the presidential cabinet.
Rubio, 54, and Vance, 41, are widely viewed as two of the leading Republican figures who could headline the party’s ticket in the 2028 election. Under the U.S. Constitution, Trump is barred from seeking another term after completing two presidential mandates.
In a lighthearted moment during the interview, Vance jokingly offered photographers $1,000 if they managed to make him look better than Rubio in the photos. Both leaders have received public backing from Trump, who last October floated the idea of a joint ticket featuring Rubio and Vance, without clarifying who would lead it.
“I think that if they ever teamed up, they would be unstoppable. I don’t think anyone would run against us,” Trump said at the time.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who also took part in the interview, confirmed that Trump does not intend to violate the 22nd Amendment, which prohibits a third presidential term, though she acknowledged that the president is “having fun” with speculation about a possible return to office.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, served as a Republican senator from 2010 to 2025. He sought the party’s presidential nomination in 2016 but was defeated by Trump after a bruising primary contest. His name was floated as a potential vice presidential pick in 2024, but Vance ultimately secured the spot. After taking office, Trump appointed Rubio as secretary of state, making him the first Latino to hold the position.
International
Authorities search for armed and dangerous suspect in fatal Brown University attack
According to the statement, investigators are “seeking the public’s help to identify and speak with an individual” who was seen “near” the suspect at the time of the attack.
The Providence Police Department in Rhode Island released three photos of the person of interest, whose face has been blurred. In the images, the individual is wearing navy blue clothing, what appears to be a green hood, and carrying a light-colored backpack.
Earlier, authorities had released several photos and videos of a suspect described as “approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, with a stocky build,” dressed in dark clothing, with their face covered by a surgical mask and wearing a beanie. The suspect’s identity remains unknown.
Authorities are offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person responsible for the killings, who is considered armed and dangerous.
The gunman opened fire on Saturday at Brown University’s engineering and physics building, where exams were being held, killing students Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov. The names of the nine people injured have not been released.
International
Police investigate deaths of Rob Reiner and wife as apparent homicide
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is investigating the deaths of Hollywood actor and filmmaker Rob Reinerand his wife as an “apparent homicide,” amid a wave of tributes to the director of classics such as When Harry Met Sally.
According to U.S. media reports on Sunday, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner were found dead at their Los Angeles mansion with what appeared to be stab wounds.
Several political figures shared messages of condolence following the reported deaths of the director of A Few Good Menand his wife.
While the LAPD did not officially confirm the identities of the victims, it stated that homicide detectives were dispatched to the Reiner residence.
“At this time, no additional details are available and the investigation into an apparent homicide is ongoing,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement posted on social media.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told reporters that no arrests have been made and that no individuals are currently being questioned as suspects.
“I’m not going to confirm whether anyone is being questioned at this moment or not. We are going to try to speak with as many family members as we can,” Hamilton said.
CNN reported that a family spokesperson confirmed the deaths of Reiner and his wife.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and former Vice President Kamala Harrisissued statements expressing their condolences.
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