President Daniel Noboa signed the decrees that ratify two of the three military cooperation agreements with the United States, which provide immunity to that country’s military operating in Ecuador.
General Laura Richardson, head of the United States Southern Command, and President Daniel Noboa in Carondelet, on January 22, 2024.
President Daniel Noboa signed two decrees to ratify military cooperation agreements with the United States: the one relating to the Statute of Forces and the one dealing with Operations Against Illicit Transnational Maritime Activities.
This puts into effect the bilateral agreements and the benefits they grant to the military and personnel of the United States Department of Defense, within Ecuadorian territory; as well as delimit the areas of cooperation and joint operations.
The first, on the Statute of Forces, establishes the framework under which United States military and civilian personnel can operate in Ecuador. That is, members of the Armed Forces and civilian employees of the Department of Defense, as well as its contractors, companies, firms and employees.
With the agreement in place, Ecuador accepts that these US personnel have “privileges, exemptions and immunities” equivalent to those of diplomatic personnel.
The second, on Maritime Operations, seeks to carry out joint operations against illicit transnational maritime activities, including drug trafficking, migrant trafficking, weapons of mass destruction and illegal fishing.
And it establishes the regulatory framework for the movements, actions and joint work of aircraft, authorities, agents and vessels of the law enforcement agencies or institutions of both countries, in the Ecuadorian territorial sea and international waters.
With these two agreements in place, the trilogy of military cooperation negotiated and signed by former President Guillermo Lasso is completed, who managed to ratify only the Air Interception agreement in August 2023.
