Ecuador takes over Manta base; U.S. officials a no-show.

[rabs]

Foreign minister Fander Falconi said at ceremony that it was a triumph for Ecuador's national soverignty. There was no U.S. representation, diplomatic or military, at the ceremony in Manta. They went away like thieves in the night.

Falconi: "Never again foreign bases on Ecuadoran territory, never again the selling of the flag."

From Guayaquil newspaper El Telegrafo:

http://www.telegrafo.com.ec/actualidad/noticia/archive/actualidad/2009/09/18/Ecuador-asume-control-de-la-base-de-Manta.aspx

[Judi Lynn]

1. Fantastic. Hope future Presidents there will never go back on their sovereignty, as well.

This is a tremendous step forward for Latin American countries. It's progress won the hard way.

Congratultions to their country.

[Peace Patriot]

2. I loved President Correa's response when he was asked about his opposition to the US base

last year. He said that he would agree to a US military base in Ecuador when the US agrees to an Ecuadoran military base in Miami!

:applause: :bounce: :applause:

The Pentagon may get their revenge, though--or try to--with the seven new US military bases in Colombia, from which I think they plan to launch Oil War II-South America. Ecuador, which has already been invaded by Colombia (early last year), and whose main oil reserves are in its northern region adjacent to Colombia--a region where fascist politicians openly talk of secession--would likely be the first victim of a civil war/secession strategy, whereby local secessionists are painted as "freedom fights" and "patriots" and request US or Colombia/US military support against the evil socialist national government. Donald Rumsfeld referenced such a war plan in his 12/1/08 op-ed in the Washington Post, four months before Colombia bombed and raided a FARC camp in Ecuador's territory without Ecuador's permission (killing 25 people without benefit of trial). He urged "swift action" by the US in support of "friends and allies" in South America. The civil war strategy was then rehearsed in Bolivia in Sept 08, but failed, in part due to the solidarity of South American countries in support of Evo Morales' government. In any case, it would make sense--if the main target is Venezuela, which it probably is--to take out Venezuela's smaller ally Ecuador first.

Correa and Ecuadorans are well aware of the danger. That's one reason they evicted the US military from the Manta base. (The bombs, plane and pilot that were used on Ecuador last year likely came from that base.) The other reason is one of long-standing--Ecuadorans hate the US military base as an insult to their sovereignty. It was arranged by previous rightwing leaders. Correa promised Ecuadorans that he would not renew the US military's lease in Manta when it came up for renewal this year, and he kept his promise. This is part of an overwhelming trend in the region against the failed, corrupt, murderous US "war on drugs," against the US military because of its war on Iraq and in favor of sovereignty and independence, in cooperation with other South American countries. I hope it succeeds and that Rumsfeld's war plan is foiled. South America is long overdue for independence, and is certainly getting ready for it, with the formalization of their new South American "common market," UNASUR, last summer.

The only threat to the peace and progressive advancement of South America is the United States and its client state of Colombia, militarized at our expense. They claim that this militarization is for the "war on drugs" (and recently, last summer, added the FARC guerrillas as another excuse, though Colombia's civil war has been going on for 40+ years)--a big piece of bullshit disinformation for US taxpayer suckers.

[Zorro]

3. So now Colombia gets the economic boost from the US presence

and Ecuador loses the income they once received from the Manta FOL.

Ecuadoreans living in Manta are not too happy about that.

[Vogon_Glory]

5. Sovereignty At A Cost

Ecuadorian politicos and leftists might be congratulating themselves over ousting the US base at Manta, but that hardly ends the potential threat from powerful, well-funded, well-organized foreign groups to the Ecuadorian state.

Narco-traffickers have proven such a formidable threat to the governments of such countries as Guatemala and Honduras that they rival and in some cases surpass the power of the state in many parts of those countries. Why the politicos think that the narcos are either going to disappear or suddenly turn law-abiding and orderly as they cross over into Ecuador from Peru or Colombia eludes me.

To me, it looks like too much of the Latin American left still wears those ideological blinders that ONLY see the conflict between Latin American states and 'Yanqui imperialists.' They do NOT see the threat that large-scale, well-funded, heavily-armed, and well-organized gangsterism poses to establishing any sort of just, civil society. Narcos shooting politicians, government officials, and NGO officials denouncing the narcotics trade or drug sales to local populations are every bit as much a threat to political sovereignty as the United Fruit Company.

To give Fidel Castro credit, he seems to understand that threat. That's one of the reasons that narco-traffickers have made few inroads into Marxist Cuba.

[Braulio]

6. Castro and the Drug Trade

Maybe narco traffickers have made few inroads into Marxist Cuba because the Cuban navy keeps a tight watch on the waters around the island, and Cubans don't have boats (if they do, they use them to escape). Also, Cuba is a communist police state in which the secret police has the ability to monitor internet traffic, phone calls, and hidden microphones at will. Plus it has a very extensive informant network. This of course makes a foreign drug trafficking operation very hard to implement.

[Vogon_Glory]

10. Partially, But Also...

Those are some of the reasons but in my own observations dictators and autocrats tend to get very leery of outfits that pose potential threats to their political control. Their usual reaction to such a potential threat is to co-opt it when possible or eliminate it if they can't. That's a very good explanation as to why drug traffickers have been unsuccessful in using Cuba as a staging point, unlike places like Honduras, Guatemala, and Haiti.

Representative republics face that same threat by the drug traffickers to their sovreignity and control of their own affairs, but many of the smaller and weaker ones don't handle that threat as well as say, the US, Canada or Argentina.

The point I am trying to make is that large, well-organized, well-armed, and well-funded criminal gangs represent a serious threat to any developing country, regardless of ideology. The narcos and Sam Zemurray's United Fruit Company had the same ideology--making money with scant regard for the legalities when the legalities don't suit them.

[Zorro]

7. Yes indeed

So long as current US drug policies remain in effect, narco-traffickers will remain a threat to local and national governments. Close to home, one only has to read the horrific reports from Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, and Nuevo Laredo to understand how powerful these organizations have become, and how they seriously undermine good social order and stability.

Although dollarization of the Ecuadorean economy did stop runaway inflation, it has had the unfortunate side effect of making it easier to allow narcodollars and their corrupting influence into the country. The recent shocking release of the Mono Jojoy video (where he describes providing funds to Correa's election campaign), coupled with the apparent lack of serious commitment by the Correa government to deal effectively with FARC within Ecuador's borders, does raise suspicions that the Correa government may have motives other than national sovereignty for forcing the US to leave the Manta FOL.

I think there will be no improvement in the regional situation until Ecuador and Colombia work cooperatively and sincerely to address the narcotics trafficking problem and the corruption it introduces.

[roody]

8. Decriminalization of all drugs is the key.

We will get there.

[Zorro]

9. I would agree that national drug laws need to be reformed

One of the unfortunate policies that Nixon implemented was to ramp up the "war on drugs", which I cynically attribute as one way he chose to retaliate against anti-war protesters. However, it has done little to reduce drug demand, and has only led to the creation of ultraviolent criminal organizations and a "criminal" class of casual users.

Reform will not be easy. There are many entrenched and influential organizations that would resist to the bitter end, for economic, religious, and social reasons.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Now Ecuadorean protesters will have more free time!

Youth protest against Manta Military Base

The National Youth Camp for Peace ended on Sunday March 26 with a demonstration of more than 100 young Ecuadoreans in front of the Manta military base occupied by the US Army since 1999. The Youth Camp was organized by the Ecuador No Bases Coalition.

As a result of three days of protest and debate, the young men and women presented a public declaration rejecting the US presence in the Ecuadorean Military Base of Manta. They also oppose the renewal of the agreement signed between Ecuador and the United States, which ends in 2009. They also demand the restitution of the land taken away from farmers, the investigation of human rights violations by US military and civilians, and legal actions to punish those responsible, lifting the immunity US military and civilians hold within the Agreement. The young people also expressed their opposition to the possible signing of the Free Trade Agreement between Ecuador and the US, recognizing that this forms part of a domination strategy, along with the militarization of the region.

From 24 to 26 March, young people from the cities of Coca, Guayaquil, Ibarra, Loja, Santo Domingo de los Colorados, Quito, Portoviejo, Manta and other areas in the province of Manabí protested while debating the situation and proposing future actions. Ecuadorean police officers and members of the US Army were posted near the meeting place during the whole Youth Camp. The police threatened with not allowing the meeting to be held, however the young people continued resisting with non-violent means.

During the Camp, the Ecuador No Bases Coalition also made a call for the International Conference for the Abolition of Foreign Military Bases around the World, which will be held in March 2007 in Manta. It is expected that this Conference will be the largest gathering of militants for peace opposing foreign military bases. There will be an analysis of the impact of military bases around the world, sharing of experiences and the establishment of global coordination mechanisms to set forth effective strategies and campaigns to ensure the abolition of foreign military bases.

The action carried out by young Ecuadoreans is one of many activities promoted by other organizations the denounce the violation of human rights of the people in Manta, as well as to raise awareness on the impact of presence of US military personnel in Manta.

Since 1999, Ecuador and the US signed an agreement to provide the US Army with a Forward Operation Location (FOL) in the Manta Air Force Base in the province of Manabí. Up to now more than 24,000 hectares have been expropriated from peasants who lived around the area. The agreement has been signed for a period of 10 years, renewable in 2009. The stated objective is to combat drug traffic, but it is clear that it is really one of the main components of the Colombia Plan in which the Ecuador Army is increasingly involved. After six years, it is clear that the main activities carried out by the US Army in Manta are to control migration and provide logistic support for the anti-guerrilla war in Colombia, providing information to the Colombian Army about the guerrilla’s movements.

Although the signing of the agreement violated national law, it was presented by the Ecuadorean government as a development opportunity for Manta because it would supposedly increase employment, attract foreign investment, reactivate tourism and it would create a new urban structure. However, the impacts of the foreign army’s presence are quite different. The cost of living has increased, the number of sexual workers and night clubs has grown and there is more sexual exploitation of the girl child and youth.

In addition, US military ships have apparently carried out 45 illegal approaches to boats that were transporting Ecuadorean migrants or that were fishing, sinking and destroying at lease eight Ecuadorean boats from 2001 to June 2005. There has been no punishment because the US personnel in the Manta Base have immunity.

The security programs carried out since the arrival of the US Army has created conflicts with civil society, since such programs affect the population’s traditional survival mechanisms, based on fishing and farming. Due to the militarization of the port of Manta, local fisherfolk cannot carry out their work, causing an increase in unemployment and migration.

http://www.acjecuador.org/portal/n-youthmanta.html

Thanks for the great news, rabs.