US and European armies should join our war on gangs, Ecuador president tells BBC

BBC:

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has told the BBC he wants US, European and Brazilian armies to join his “war” against criminal gangs.

He added he wants US President Donald Trump to designate Ecuadorean gangs as terrorist groups, as he has done for some Mexican and Venezuelan cartels.

He also said Ecuadorean law would be respected when asked about his recent partnership with Erik Prince, an ally of Trump and founder of controversial private military firm Blackwater.

Violence has soared in Ecuador in recent years, with gangs battling to control drug trafficking routes. Most of the world’s cocaine is trafficked through Ecuador’s ports.

President Noboa has previously indicated he would like foreign military aid to help tackle drug cartels – but this is the first time he has singled out the US, Brazil and Europe.

Security – and how he is dealing with it – is a top issue for voters ahead of a run-off vote in Ecuador’s presidential election on 13 April.

Noboa has defined his 16 months in office through a tough crackdown on gangs and militarising the streets and prisons – however he has also come under fire from critics who see his tactics as too heavy-handed.

During his term, the murder rate decreased by approximately 16% from 2023 to 2024 but it remains far higher than previous years, and in January 2025 killings hit a record 781 in one month.