Buenos Aires, Nov 16, (dpa/GNA) – Ecuador is holding a referendum on Sunday, on whether to allow foreign military bases in the country, as part of government efforts to combat rising drug crime.
President Daniel Noboa’s government has proposed establishing foreign military bases in the South American country. Talks have already been held with the United States and Brazil.
Powerful drug gangs are expanding their activities in the once relatively safe country, and large quantities of cocaine are being smuggled via Pacific ports.
The US military is currently cracking down on suspected drug crime in the region. In recent weeks, it has sunk around 20 boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, that were allegedly smuggling drugs, killing around 80 people in the process.
The US military previously maintained a base in Manta on Ecuador’s Pacific coast between 1999 and 2009.
Sunday’s referendum also asks Ecuadorians to decide whether to abolish state funding of political parties, and reduce the size of parliament from the current 151 seats to 73.
Ballot boxes close at 5 pm (2200 GMT), with first results expected during the night.
In addition to these changes, the government wants to convene a constituent assembly to pass a new constitution. The country’s current constitution dates back to the time of left-wing former president Rafael Correa, who served until 2017.
Correa was later convicted of corruption and now lives in exile in Belgium.
GNA