QUITO.- The former Ecuadorian president, Rafael Correa, a fugitive from justice for corruption, was involved in an episode of exaltation during an interview with the Colombian journalist, Luis Carlos Vélez and his team, when he was asked if he was considering his possible candidacy again for the presidency. , regarding the security crisis that Ecuador is going through.
“It bothers me. I feel the same as the audience when there is bad intention in a question. Let’s not fool ourselves, let’s not cover the sun with a finger,” Correa said.
Despite Vélez’s attempts to get a clear answer about his political aspirations, Correa responded irritably: “I don’t have to explain to you, I say what I want. I’m not being rude (…) I will be president of Ecuador if the people of Ecuador so decide and if it pleases me.”
This episode reflects the tension present in the Ecuadorian political sphere and the sensitivity of former President Correa to certain questions, especially considering that during his government, in 2017, he made the decision to expel the Manta Military Base, which has been pointed out as a milestone that marked the beginning of an alarming escalation in drug trafficking activity in Ecuador.
Experts and analysts maintain that this action opened an unrestricted path for the infiltration and growth of criminal gangs dedicated to drug trafficking in the country.
Agreement between Ecuador and the US
Since the signing of the cooperation agreement in 1999 between Ecuador and the United States, the Manta Base played a crucial role in the fight against drug trafficking, serving as an operations center for anti-narcotics activities. However, the expulsion of the base during the Correa government radically changed the security landscape.
Investigative journalists and columnists The time, Jorge Ortiz y Mariana Neira, argued that the presence of the base acted as an effective deterrent. The expulsion, according to them, opened the doors to a massive infiltration of drug trafficking gangs, triggering an exponential increase in political and criminal violence in Ecuador.
Ortiz highlighted that events such as prison riots and murders are direct consequences of the maturity of this process, turning Ecuadorians into “hostages of violence.” Furthermore, he warned about the vulnerability of State institutions to the ruthless aggressiveness of criminal gangs.
Neira added that statistics demonstrate a significant increase in drug trafficking activity and political violence since 2007. The weakness in legislation and the prevailing impunity have created an environment conducive to the flourishing of organized groups.
This situation highlights the need to address this situation in Ecuador as a priority, recognizing the importance of international cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and associated violence.
Source: With information from La Hora and La FM
