Bananas, Bullets, and Backlash: Ecuador’s Battle for Stability

Written by Joseph Cain | February 18, 2024

President Daniel Noboa

Ecuador is facing unprecedented times. In early January, President Noboa stated that Ecuador was in an internal armed conflict with 22 armed groups and gangs. The government has designated these 22 groups as terrorist organizations allowing for military operations against them. However, after years of Rafael Correa (2007-2017) the military and security forces have been starved budgetarily leaving them ill-equipped to deal with the monumental issue at hand. Furthermore, former President Correa actively collaborated with the gangs, allowing them legal standing, and ceased security cooperation with the United States. Now with President Daniel Noboa at the helm, there is a more friendly face in Quito for Washington to work with to address the seriousness of this ever-worsening conflict. 

As a result on February 15^th, President Noboa ratified two military cooperation agreements with the United States to address the current situation, including one for joint naval operations as Ecuador is a major transshipment hub for cocaine moving north. Furthermore, in January, the United States and Ecuador held negotiations for the potential transfer of Ecuadorian military equipment of Russian/Ukrainian origin, that reportedly would be sent to Ukraine in exchange for $200 million worth of modern military equipment from the United States.  The warming of relations with the United States and especially these negotiations have sparked a sharp rebuke from Russia, who has traditionally been the largest importer of Ecuadorian Bananas. Ecuador’s economy depends on bananas of which it is the largest exporter in the world. Russia has partially halted the import of Ecuadorian bananas. Russia’s use of economic coercion highlights its disapproval of Ecuador’s moves likely in a bid to change or halt Ecuador’s increasing closeness with Russia’s adversaries.