International

The Government of Ecuador proposes the temporary entry of foreign forces to combat insecurity

The Government of Ecuador, led by Daniel Noboa, is considering the temporary entry into the country of international special forces to strengthen the fight against transnational organized crime and insecurity, the National Secretariat of Communication of the Presidency reported on Wednesday.

In a statement, he pointed out that the Government proposes, “temporarily and in the context of the declared war against narcoterrorism, the incorporation of special forces from allied countries to support and enhance the actions of the Armed Forces and the National Police.”

“Mafias and drug trafficking operate on international networks, so it is necessary to act together to fight them more effectively,” he said.

In that sense, Noboa ordered the Foreign Ministry that, “respecting the constitutional framework and using the corresponding diplomatic channels,” make the approaches to coordinate efforts and establish cooperation agreements for this objective against insecurity in Ecuador.

The letter does not detail which nations the approaches will be made.

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“Confronting a common enemy – the mafias and organized crime – requires unity and firm decisions. This proposal, along with other actions led by the government (…), seeks to strengthen the security of the country,” he says.

In that context, it urges the National Assembly to pronounce on this and other initiatives, such as the partial reform of article 5 of the Constitution that seeks to eliminate the prohibition on the establishment of foreign military bases in the country.

Last October, Noboa sent the draft constitutional reform to the National Assembly to open the door to the re-establishment of foreign military bases in Ecuador, prohibited by the Constitution promulgated during the mandate 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 that constitutional reform to allow the installation of foreign permanent military bases again, as part of its actions in the “internal armed conflict” it declared in January 2024 against organized crime.

The National Assembly must process the constitutional reform project, which, if approved, must be endorsed in a referendum.

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The Presidency assured in October that it had 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 insecurity in Ecuador.

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 and Europe.

Some of these prohibitions have been carried out 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, according to the Ecuadorian Navy.

Likewise, both countries also signed last year a commitment act for the delivery to Ecuador of two patrol boats 33.5 meters long of the

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”