US‑Ecuador Joint Security Operations Trigger Human Rights Abuse Claims

Human Rights Watch released a report accusing the United States and Ecuador of committing serious human‑rights violations during their joint security campaign against organized crime. The NGO says the partnership has entered a “dangerous phase,” citing arbitrary detentions, torture, and civilian casualties caused by air and drone strikes.

HRW documents an operation from 1‑6 March near the Colombian border in which four Colombian farm workers were detained and subjected to electric shocks, simulated drowning and mock executions. It also reports the burning of civilian properties and the use of aerial munitions against them. Additionally, drones allegedly attacked two Ecuadorian fishing boats near the Galápagos and a third vessel vanished with most of its crew. Survivors claim they were later intercepted by men in U.S.‑marked uniforms and handed over to Salvadoran coast guards.

The report urges the U.S. Congress to investigate the role of American forces in these incidents and warns that the model of security cooperation could spread similar abuses throughout Latin America.