Forced Disappearances and Torture Rise Amid Ecuador’s Militarized Drug War

In early 2024 President Daniel Noboa declared an internal armed conflict, expanding the army’s domestic role. The move responded to Ecuador’s emergence as a transit hub for roughly 70 % of cocaine from Colombia and Peru. Since then, the military’s presence has intensified, coinciding with a surge in homicides and forced disappearances.

The Guardian

Key actors include President Noboa; U.S. President Donald Trump, who framed joint actions as a partnership with Ecuador; the U.S. Southern Command; the EU, which funds a $2.3 million intelligence centre in Guayaquil, and Britain; and domestic groups such as lawyer Fernando Bastias Robayo, Amnesty International’s Camila Ruiz Segovia, Human Rights Watch’s Martina Rapido Ragozzino, plus families like Rosa Álvarez and Dave Robin Loor Roca.

The Guardian

Human-rights monitors have recorded at least 51 forced disappearances, including teenagers Jairo Damián Tapia Álvarez and Jostin Álvarez Chávez. A dairy-farm raid on a community of 27 families resulted in beatings, electric shocks and death threats. National homicide rates rose 31 % to 50.9 per 100,000 in 2025.

The Guardian

President Trump wrote to Congress that the operation was “in partnership with the government of the Republic of Ecuador.” The U.S. Southern Command confirmed rapid assistance after a call with Noboa; the Defense Department declined comment on its role. The EU cited its $2.3 million programme as non-military, and Ecuador’s defence ministry labeled operational details “confidential.”

The Guardian

Lawyer Fernando Bastias Robayo warned that “nothing like this has ever happened in Ecuador before,” citing dozens of disappearances and a lack of investigations. Amnesty International’s Camila Ruiz Segovia condemned the defence ministry’s refusal to cooperate. Martina Rapido Ragozzino called for clear benchmarks on foreign aid. U.S. lawmakers and French MEP Anthony Smith demanded an immediate halt to joint operations.

The Guardian

The army’s report that Dave Robin Loor Roca was released the same evening is disputed by his relatives, who say he remains missing. Prosecutors initially refused to register his disappearance, acting only after pressure. The armed forces said the information was “classified.”

The Guardian

• “First the soldiers came, they were suddenly everywhere. Then they began attacking the people. It was never about protecting us; they only wanted to scare us.” — Rosa, family matriarch

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• “There are dozens and dozens of forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture – and none of it is being properly investigated.” — Fernando Bastias Robayo, lawyer

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• “It’s not in the name of fighting drug trafficking that you set aside the rule of law or fundamental rights.” — Anthony Smith, French MEP

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• “The issue is when this cooperation does not come with clear requirements or benchmarks on how the government can use that support – and what it should not be doing.” — Martina Rapido Ragozzino, HRW researcher

The Guardian

U.S. lawmakers have urged the Pentagon to suspend joint operations pending investigation; the EU and Britain face calls for stricter safeguards. Families demand accountability and an end to militarisation.

The Guardian