The region’s fragile ecosystem and the civilian population are at risk, experts warn

▲ The Galapagos Islands are a Natural Heritage of Humanity in the UNESCO catalogue.Photo Ap

Orlando Perez

Special for La Jornada

La Jornada Newspaper
Saturday, December 14, 2024, p. 17

Quito. The government of Daniel Noboa ordered that the Galapagos Islands become a United States military base and in the coming days the first American ships and crews will arrive.

With the decision of the Government Council of the province of Galapagos, the military cooperation treaties of the United States with Ecuador signed by Noboa on February 15, 2024 come into force.

In this way, ships, military personnel, weapons, equipment and submarines will be able to settle in that archipelago, declared a Natural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1978.

This December 10, the Comprehensive security project in the island region and the Instructions for the application of cooperation agreements between Ecuador and the United States.

Explicitly with the aforementioned decision it is stated that the purpose is Operationalize the project in order to address shared security challenges in the province of Galapagos, 600 miles (965 kilometers) from the Ecuadorian continental coast.

In addition, it is proposed to “combat drug trafficking, illegal fishing and other illicit maritime activities in this region of Ecuador. It is important to avoid violent conflicts and other related crimes between groups narcoterrorists linked to international cartels that dispute routes for the export of narcotics and territorial control for the sale of drugs,” it is indicated.

Of course, it is mentioned that US warships, state ships, aircraft and crews are exempt from administrative fees (taxes) and will have environmental controls. rigorous to enter the island.

It should be remembered that through the Decree of February 15, 2024, Quito ratified the Agreement with Washington regarding the Status of Forces, signed on October 6, 2023, during the Guillermo Lasso regime. There it was announced that military and civilian personnel of the Department of Defense and its contractors would be granted privileges, exemptions, and immunity equivalent to those received by the administrative and technical personnel of diplomatic missions under the Vienna Convention.

In practice, the above constitutes the establishment of a military base, as occurred from 1999 to 2009 in the coastal city of Manta, whose agreement the then president Rafael Correa did not renew and, in addition, the new Constitution of 2008 prohibited the presence of foreign forces or military bases in Ecuadorian territory.

However, two weeks ago Noboa sent to the Assembly (Parliament) a partial reform to the Constitution to eliminate the article that prohibits the presence of bases from other countries, but the Legislature has not yet addressed it.

Former vice chancellor Fernando Yépez said in this regard: it is unacceptable, shameful, dangerous, unworthy colonial servility. There is no awareness of national sovereignty, nor of the interests of Ecuador nor of the negative experiences with foreign military bases, always from the United States..

Take advantage of natural heritage

According to the project, the agreement is activated By virtue of the geopolitical and social characterization, as well as the geographical location and its ecosystem particularity, in addition to the recognition as World Heritage of Humanity, the Galapagos Islands are a sensitive place that deserves due care through the legal framework and actions of the Ecuadorian State. as well as international support.

At the same time, he says that Through the Coast Guard Service, the White House has been collaborating with the Ecuadorian Navy for the interception and eradication of illicit drug trafficking that is carried out via fast boats and semi-submersibles from the vicinity of the Galapagos to Central American countries, as well as controlling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Faced with this, the decision clarifies that In order to prevent impacts that may lead to environmental damage, said resolution must be sent to the United States government and request the signing of declarations on compliance with said standards..

Meanwhile, in the opinion of the representatives of social and environmental organizations on Galapagos, this does not make any sense because there have already been some events of US military presence in which it is documented that it does not respect the minimum standards established in the Constitution of Ecuador itself. . Although for fear of reprisals they prefer to remain anonymous, activists and leaders appeal to article 258, which establishes a Special government for the province of Galapagos: its planning and development will be organized based on strict adherence to the principles of conservation of the natural heritage of the State and good living, in accordance with what the law determines. Which, according to them, this norm is flagrantly violated despite the fact that the project approved this week establishes that it is prohibited the use of weapons that could put the fragile Galapagos ecosystem at risk.

The activists consulted by The Day They said they did not know “how it is expressed that the entire project is about buying the consciences of the authorities and that surrender to the United States is evident.

In a plenary session of the Governing Council of the Special Regime of Galapagos, a draft provincial ordinance was approved, without consultation with the community, which gives Washington the power to enter the Galapagos marine reserve with military ships/bases.

One of those interviewed told this medium that the provision that authorizes US military presence only in populated areas It is not applicable because in those that are not populated there would be no surveillance.

The most serious thing for the residents is that, as the authorization indicates, The implementation of the project requires adapting or building additional facilities at local ports or airports..