President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa, who was reelected for a second term on Sunday, reiterated on Tuesday his goal of establishing a security alliance with U.S. President Donald Trump to receive “real help” to fight crime.
Noboa, a 37-year-old outsider candidate and Ecuador’s youngest president ever, defeated establishment socialist candidate Luisa González by an 11-point difference in Sunday’s presidential runoff election. Noboa’s upcoming four-year term will begin on May 24.
Noboa first took office in November 2023 to conclude the remainder of the term of his predecessor, conservative former President Guillermo Lasso. Noboa initially ran a center-left government and has described himself as “center left.” Since then, his administration has focused on eradicating Ecuador’s violent gang crime and drug trafficking, seeking the aid of the United States following President Trump’s return to the White House.
The Ecuadorian president spoke on Tuesday with CNN Español and said he gladly welcomes the support of foreign security forces that “we need.” He clarified that, in theory, prospective U.S. troops would not patrol the streets of Ecuador and would instead play a supporting role in the country’s security operations.
Noboa further stated that he does not think it is unreasonable to have a joint military base with America in Ecuador but stressed security operations in Ecuador should be controlled by the Ecuadorian military and police.
“We would like to cooperate with U.S. forces, and I think there are many ways to do that, especially in tracking illegal operations moving out of Ecuador. But the control of the operations will be in the hands of our military and our police,” he said.
Prior to Sunday’s election, Noboa traveled to the United States in early April and met with President Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The two heads of state held a “positive” and “enjoyable” private meeting in which Noboa reportedly asked Trump for U.S. military cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking. Noboa told local outlets at the time that President Trump asked him to “not give too many details” of their encounter but asserted that Trump “found it positive that we are fighting against narcoterrorism.”
President Trump congratulated Noboa for his reelection in a Monday morning Truth Social post.
“Congratulations to Daniel Noboa, who will be a great leader for the wonderful people of Ecuador. He will not let you down!” Trump’s message read.
Noboa confirmed to CNN Español on Tuesday that his team held conversations with the United States about a joint plan for U.S. support in intelligence systems, radars, border protection, the monitoring of drug trafficking, and support against illegal fishing and mining. Noboa said that he believes Ecuador is in a position to receive “real aid packages” from the United States now that the election is over, since the conversations took place within a “preelection” context.
Ecuador’s current constitution, implemented in 2008 during the administration of socialist former president and fugitive convicted felon Rafael Correa, prohibits the establishment of foreign military bases. Noboa has made open calls to reform the Ecuadorian constitution and eliminate the foreign military base prohibitions.
CNN Español, citing an unnamed senior Ecuadorian official, stated in its report on Tuesday that Ecuador is preparing for the arrival of U.S. forces with the construction of a new naval base in the coastal city of Manta, where prospective U.S. personnel would be housed. The United States maintained a military presence in Manta from 1999 to 2009.
Noboa reportedly assured during the interview that his relationship with President Trump is not comparable to that of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. He asserted that he does not follow Bukele’s “manual” or that of Argentina’s Javier Milei, as “each one has his own style.”
“Everyone has their own style, we are different people. They are not similar projects,” Noboa said. “They are two young leaders coming from the business sector who have decided to help their country, but we are not following either the Bukele or the Milei manual. The reality of each country is different.”
In addition to discussing U.S. security cooperation, Noboa also addressed U.S. tariffs in the interview, stating that his administration has a “very clear” attitude of tariff reciprocity with the United States. Ecuador, he noted, has now lowered tariffs on American cars and machinery from 35 to 40 percent to about ten percent.
Asked if the ten percent tariffs imposed on Ecuador are a “low blow,” Noboa noted that Ecuador received the same ten percent rate imposed on most other Latin American nations. Ecuador’s competitors “had no tariffs” until recently and would have it “worse” than Ecuador if Trump’s tariff pause expires after the 90-day window ends.
“Our competitors, many of them did not have tariffs. They had free trade agreements. Our competitors, in our five main export products, do not have it better than us. They have it worse than us in many cases,” Noboa said.
“Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand — in terms of fishing, in terms of shrimp — shrimp is the main non-oil export product,” he continued. “It can hit you, but if it hits others more, you are in a competitive position in which it can work for you.”
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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