US Homeland Security Secretary to arrive in Ecuador for security talks

BOGOTA, Colombia

US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem will arrive Wednesday in Ecuador to discuss enhanced security cooperation and visit strategically important sites for the potential installation of military bases, an Ecuadorian official said Wednesday.

"This official visit is part of the process of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Ecuador and the United States in the areas of security, migration, and development," presidential spokesperson Carolina Jaramillo said at a news conference.

Noem will meet President Daniel Noboa and ministers of the security bloc. She will also visit strategic facilities in the coastal cities of Manta and Salinas to consolidate “technical cooperation mechanisms between the security institutions of both countries, including the establishment of potential bases," said Jaramillo.

"This visit reaffirms the trust and joint work to combat organized crime, strengthen institutional capacities, and promote Ecuador's comprehensive security and regional stability," the spokesperson added.

The visit takes place as the push for foreign security cooperation intensifies, coinciding with the US stepping up an offensive against drug trafficking in the Pacific Ocean.

It also occurs amid a national election campaign to promote four referendum questions proposed by Noboa. One key question proposes reforming Article 5 of the Constitution to allow the establishment of foreign military bases on Ecuadorian territory.

In late October, Noboa, a close regional ally of US President Donald Trump, initially proposed hosting a foreign military base on Baltra Island on the Galapagos Islands.

But he scrapped the proposal days later, following criticism from opponents and environmentalists who cited the potentially destructive effects on the archipelago's fauna and flora.