Ecuadorians reject foreign military bases in major defeat for U.S.-backed president

Ecuadorians voted Nov. 17, 2025 to reject a constitutional amendment that would allow foreign military bases. Nearly two-thirds of voters opposed the measure. The referendum was a major defeat for President Daniel Noboa.

President Daniel Noboa is 37, a conservative Trump ally, and son of Ecuador's richest billionaire. Noboa argued foreign military bases were necessary to combat drug trafficking. He said 70 percent of global cocaine flows through Ecuador.

The U.S. sought to reestablish access to Eloy Alfaro Air Base on Ecuador's Pacific coast. The U.S. used the base for counter-narcotics operations from 1999 to 2009. Ecuador closed the base and banned foreign military bases in its 2008 constitution under President Rafael Correa.

Ecuador doesn't produce cocaine but its large ports and proximity to Colombia and Peru make it a major trafficking hub. The country has seen dramatic increases in violence as Mexican cartels compete for control of trafficking routes.