Ecuador pitches US military base and free trade deal to Trump allies, sources say

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Ecuador pitches US military base and free trade deal to Trump allies, sources say

Gram Slattery and Alexandra Valencia
Sat, March 15, 2025 at 6:09 AM EDT 4 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ecuadorean officials have told allies of U.S. President Donald Trump that they are interested in hosting a U.S. military base in the South American country, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

The officials also said they were interested in inking a free trade deal with the United States, which has eluded the Andean nation, even as neighboring Colombia and Peru have had bilateral accords with the U.S. for over a decade, said the sources, who requested anonymity to describe private conversations.

The expressions of interest were delivered in recent weeks to Republican lobbyists in Washington close to the Trump administration, the sources said. It is unclear if the administration is itself aware of or interested in the proposals, and the White House National Security Council did not respond to a request for comment.

The military base pitch is the latest unconventional plan advanced by the administration of Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa, who is trying to tamp down on crime and strengthen ties with Trump associates heading into a competitive April election.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/ecuador-pitches-us-military-free-100942007.html

[atreides1]

1. WTF Does Ecuador have to trade

I learned in a Administration of Justice class, that the coca leaves are picked in Colombia, transported to Ecuador where it is processed into coca paste and then returned to Colombia for processing into the powder form of cocaine!


Ecuador's top 10 exports:

Mineral fuels including oil: US$9 billion (28.9% of total exports)
Fish: $7.5 billion (24.2%)
Fruits, nuts: $4.1 billion (13.2%)
Ores, slag, ash: $1.9 billion (6.2%)
Gems, precious metals: $1.42 billion (4.6%)
Meat/seafood preparations: $1.37 billion (4.4%)
Cocoa: $1.32 billion (4.2%)
Live trees, plants, cut flowers: $1 billion (3.2%)
Wood: $533.5 million (1.7%)
Vegetable/fruit/nut preparations: $319.6 million (1%)