The top US diplomat, Daniel Naboa, and Rubio met in Quito on Thursday after making the announcement.
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Rubio described the designations as part of a “war” US President Donald Trump has begun to wage against Latin American cartels during a press conference after speaking with Ecuador’s foreign minister.
It’s a war, to be honest. A war is being waged against murderers. Rubio remarked that the world is fighting terror.
Two Ecuador-based gangs, Los Lobos and Los Choneros, both of whom have participated in the illicit drug trade, were the target of the new US “terrorism” designations.
Rubio asserted that the gangs had a history of violence and that they were more accountable for trafficking than trafficking. These are not drug dealers, they say. These are “narco terrorists” who terrorize their home countries.
Under President Trump, Rubio’s aggressive rhetoric highlights a shift toward labeling organized crime in Latin America as “terrorism.”
However, experts claim that Trump justified a military attack on a boat leaving Venezuela on Tuesday using that logic. 11 people allegedly belonging to the Tren de Aragua gang were killed extrajudicially as a result of the bombing.
Rubio did not respond to a question about whether the administration would seek congressional approval for such strikes in Ecuador during his visit, which many experts believe are against international law.
Rubio, however, stated that he did not anticipate the US carrying out such strikes against “cooperating countries.”
According to Rubio, “There is no need, because those governments will help us identify” alleged gang members. They will assist us in locating these individuals and destroying them. If that is what it requires.
He compared Venezuela to Venezuela under President Nicolas Maduro, whose government he called a “terrorist organization, an organized crime organization.”
For its part, the term “foreign terrorist organization” does not, by itself, give the US president more authority to launch unilateral military strikes against specific groups.
Rubio added that it “allows the US to go against the assets, properties, and monies of any person in the US or in the US banking system related to these groups.” He claimed that it also improves the ability of foreign governments to share intelligence.
Rubio and his counterpart, foreign minister Gabriela Sommerfeld, made announcements about increased security funding for Ecuador, improved migration cooperation, and the signing of a free trade agreement.
The new security commitments include $ 13 million for drones and $ 6 million for general security for the Ecuadorian Navy.
Noboa has expressed support for Rubio’s suggestion that he might also think about reestablishing a military base in Ecuador. However, a national referendum would be necessary to decide whether it would be approved.
According to Lucia Newman, a reporter for Al Jazeera’s Latin America program in Santiago, Chile, Rubio’s visit demonstrated that Ecuador and the US “are really on the same page when it comes to fighting organized crime and drug trafficking.”
Source: Aljazeera
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