The United States announced new security commitments for Ecuador on Thursday during Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit, as Washington seeks to strengthen efforts against illegal immigration and drug cartels.
The measures include more than $13 million in general security funding for Ecuador, alongside $6 million to provide drones for the Ecuadorean Navy, Rubio said.
“This is just the beginning of what we can accomplish together,” Rubio added, noting that the U.S. would consider establishing a military base in Ecuador if the country invites it.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has expressed support for such a base, but a referendum would be required for voter approval. The U.S. previously maintained a base in Manta, which was closed in 2009 under orders from Ecuador’s then-president.
Rubio also announced that two Ecuadorean criminal groups, Los Choneros and Los Lobos, have been designated as foreign terrorist organisations.
Jose Adolfo “Fito” Macias Villamar, reportedly the leader of Los Choneros, has been indicted on federal drug and gun charges in the United States, where he is currently in custody and has pleaded not guilty. Both gangs were first sanctioned by the U.S. in 2024.
The new designation will allow the U.S. to target their assets and improve intelligence-sharing with Ecuador.
“They are terrorists. We can assist Ecuador in combating these groups,” Rubio said.
Despite President Noboa’s ongoing efforts to tackle gang violence linked to the drug trade, killings have surged. Homicides increased by 40% in the first seven months of this year compared with the same period in 2024.
Noboa, elected earlier this year to a full term, has deployed the military to patrol the streets, while lawmakers have approved reforms—including tougher penalties—that the president says will help curb crime.
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U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to nuclear inspections into "infinity, despite Tehran's denials, and that unfrozen Iranian assets would be used to buy humanitarian supplies from the United States.
Bangladesh has called for increased climate financing and faster delivery of support to vulnerable nations, arguing that current global funding commitments fall far short of what developing countries need to tackle the growing impacts of climate change.
Apple is facing a £3 billion lawsuit in the United Kingdom after a competition tribunal approved a major collective action over its iCloud storage service.
Iran has strengthened ties with regional partners and agreed a roadmap for technical talks with the U.S. aimed at securing a final peace agreement within two months.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Three students have been killed and at least seven injured after two of their peers opened fire in a high school in the Philippines, police said. A spokesperson for the police said the two suspects, aged 14 and 15, had been arrested and a police pistol confiscated. Bullying is a possible motive.
Bangladesh has called for increased climate financing and faster delivery of support to vulnerable nations, arguing that current global funding commitments fall far short of what developing countries need to tackle the growing impacts of climate change.
Apple is facing a £3 billion lawsuit in the United Kingdom after a competition tribunal approved a major collective action over its iCloud storage service.
Amnesty International has accused the European Union of being complicit in human rights abuses after authorities in eastern and western Libya intensified a crackdown on migrants and refugees through mass arrests, detentions and expulsions.
Belgium has issued 24-hour visas to a Taliban delegation attending European Union migration talks in Brussels, as EU member states explore ways to return some Afghans convicted of serious crimes or considered security threats.
Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of Scotland's governing Scottish National Party (SNP), has been jailed for five years and three months after admitting to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party over a 13-year period
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