Particle.news
Download on the App Store
12 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

Ecuador Rejects Foreign Military Bases as Noboa’s Four-Question Referendum Fails

The result denies President Daniel Noboa the mandate he sought for foreign troop deployments.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, accompanied by his family, votes in a referendum on whether to allow foreign military bases in the country and rewrite the constitution through a constituent assembly, in Olon, Ecuador, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Cesar Munoz)
A man votes in a referendum to decide whether to allow the return of foreign military bases, which Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa says are central to fighting organized crime, and whether they back convening an assembly to rewrite the constitution, in Guayaquil, Ecuador November 16, 2025. REUTERS/Santiago Arcos
People participate in the vote counting process during a referendum to decide whether to allow the return of foreign military bases, which Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa says are central to fighting organized crime, and whether they back convening an assembly to rewrite the constitution, in Quito, Ecuador November 16, 2025. REUTERS/Karen Toro
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shakes hands with Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa at Eloy Alfaro Air Base as flags are adjusted behind them, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Manta, Ecuador.

Overview

  • Official results show about 60.3% voted against lifting the 2008 constitutional ban on foreign military bases, with turnout reported at 82.3%.
  • Voters also rejected convening a constituent assembly and proposals to end public funding for parties and cut the number of lawmakers, with margins ranging from about 56% to 63%.
  • President Daniel Noboa accepted the outcome and said his government will continue the fight against organized crime using existing legal and institutional tools.
  • The defeat blocks any near-term return of U.S. forces to the Manta airbase and undercuts pre‑vote polls from Cedatos that had projected a decisive “Yes” majority.
  • As polls opened, Noboa announced the capture in Spain of Los Lobos leader “Pipo,” a development set against Ecuador’s surge in lethal violence, including 4,619 murders in the first half of 2025.