Ecuador’s Donald Trump-aligned President Daniel Noboa was dealt a major blow Sunday by voters who spurned his plans for a return of foreign military bases to the country battling rampant cartel violence.Despite opinion polls projecting a comfortable referendum victory for the millennial president, Ecuadorans roundly rejected all four of his proposals.Besides an overwhelming “No” to overturning a ban on foreign military bases, voters also shot down proposals to end public funding for political parties, to reduce the number of lawmakers, and to draft a new constitution. Analysts say Noboa was unable to convince the electorate that his ideas were the best way to deal with what is a very real problem of sky-high crime and murder rates.- ‘They don’t care’ -Noboa last year deployed the military to Ecuador’s crime-riddled prisons and streets, and raised taxes to fund his war on drug gangs — also a major focus of US President Trump.Seeking to boost cooperation with Washington, which has been carrying out deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, Noboa proposed reopening a US base at Manta on the Pacific coast.But voters told AFP this was not a problem for the United States to solve.”Does the United States care if our children are robbed on the street? They don’t care,” said Daniela Cordova, a 44-year-old university employee who voted “No” in the referendum.Security “does not depend on a constitution or on military bases”, she added.Political scientist Santiago Cahuasqui from Quito’s Universidad Hemisferios said voters punished Noboa for “grandiose communication that is completely divorced from reality.””There hasn’t been a single result” from Noboa’s heavily-publicized anti-crime campaign, said Andres Delgado, a 23-year-old university student. “In fact, insecurity is getting worse.” He also voted “No.”Ecuadoran security expert Michelle Maffei said it was a mistake to focus on military solutions without the existence of “crime prevention programs or programs to strengthen institutions” that investigate money laundering and other offenses linked to drug trafficking.- ‘Fear of change’ -Presidential spokeswoman Carolina Jaramillo on Monday blamed “a deep fear of change” for Noboa’s referendum defeat.But voters and analysts told AFP it was more a fear of losing rights to a president who has proposed chemical castration for rapists and intelligence operations that require no warrants.”My ‘No’ vote was a rejection of the government for being dictatorial,” said Ximena Martinez, a 29-year-old vendor in Manta.”Why would he (Noboa) bring US military personnel back to Manta after the abuses they committed here?” asked Martinez, referring to reports by rights groups that the base was used in the past as a launchpad for strikes on boats transporting drugs or migrants. Or sometimes fishermen.Ecuadorans “are punishing Noboa’s authoritarian drive,” added Cahuasqui, the political scientist. – Indigenous ‘repression’ -A military crackdown on recent Indigenous protests against the elimination of a diesel subsidy also seemed to have turned the mood against Noboa.In Imbabura province, where Indigenous protesters blocking roads clashed with security forces — leaving at least two dead — more than two-thirds of the population voted “No” to the referendum’s four questions.Norma Navarro, a 73-year-old retiree, said her rejection was informed by “the brutal repression of the Indigenous people.””That’s what hurt me the most,” she told AFP.
Ecuador’s Donald Trump-aligned President Daniel Noboa was dealt a major blow Sunday by voters who spurned his plans for a return of foreign military bases to the country battling rampant cartel violence.Despite opinion polls projecting a comfortable referendum victory for the millennial president, Ecuadorans roundly rejected all four of his proposals.Besides an overwhelming “No” to overturning a ban on foreign military bases, voters also shot down proposals to end public funding for political parties, to reduce the number of lawmakers, and to draft a new constitution. Analysts say Noboa was unable to convince the electorate that his ideas were the best way to deal with what is a very real problem of sky-high crime and murder rates.- ‘They don’t care’ -Noboa last year deployed the military to Ecuador’s crime-riddled prisons and streets, and raised taxes to fund his war on drug gangs — also a major focus of US President Trump.Seeking to boost cooperation with Washington, which has been carrying out deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, Noboa proposed reopening a US base at Manta on the Pacific coast.But voters told AFP this was not a problem for the United States to solve.”Does the United States care if our children are robbed on the street? They don’t care,” said Daniela Cordova, a 44-year-old university employee who voted “No” in the referendum.Security “does not depend on a constitution or on military bases”, she added.Political scientist Santiago Cahuasqui from Quito’s Universidad Hemisferios said voters punished Noboa for “grandiose communication that is completely divorced from reality.””There hasn’t been a single result” from Noboa’s heavily-publicized anti-crime campaign, said Andres Delgado, a 23-year-old university student. “In fact, insecurity is getting worse.” He also voted “No.”Ecuadoran security expert Michelle Maffei said it was a mistake to focus on military solutions without the existence of “crime prevention programs or programs to strengthen institutions” that investigate money laundering and other offenses linked to drug trafficking.- ‘Fear of change’ -Presidential spokeswoman Carolina Jaramillo on Monday blamed “a deep fear of change” for Noboa’s referendum defeat.But voters and analysts told AFP it was more a fear of losing rights to a president who has proposed chemical castration for rapists and intelligence operations that require no warrants.”My ‘No’ vote was a rejection of the government for being dictatorial,” said Ximena Martinez, a 29-year-old vendor in Manta.”Why would he (Noboa) bring US military personnel back to Manta after the abuses they committed here?” asked Martinez, referring to reports by rights groups that the base was used in the past as a launchpad for strikes on boats transporting drugs or migrants. Or sometimes fishermen.Ecuadorans “are punishing Noboa’s authoritarian drive,” added Cahuasqui, the political scientist. – Indigenous ‘repression’ -A military crackdown on recent Indigenous protests against the elimination of a diesel subsidy also seemed to have turned the mood against Noboa.In Imbabura province, where Indigenous protesters blocking roads clashed with security forces — leaving at least two dead — more than two-thirds of the population voted “No” to the referendum’s four questions.Norma Navarro, a 73-year-old retiree, said her rejection was informed by “the brutal repression of the Indigenous people.””That’s what hurt me the most,” she told AFP.
