Noboa retracts his earlier suggestion of putting a foreign military base in the Galapagos Islands

President Daniel Noboa has backtracked on his plan to locate a foreign military base in the Galapagos Islands. On Tuesday, the president had suggested that an “ideal location” for a base would Baltra Island, which had hosted a U.S. base during World War II.

President Daniel Noboa on Friday withdrew his earlier suggestion of putting a foreign military base in the Galapagos Islands.

Friday morning, Noboa said a base location in the Galapagos would be inappropriate for environmental and logistical reasons, adding that the mainland cities of Manta and Salinas would be better choices. He said he changed his mind after discussions with Kristi Noem, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, and officials at the Galapagos National Park.

Environmentalists and organizations supporting scientific research in the Galapagos had criticized the plan to install a military base on Baltra Island.

Voters will decide in the November 16 public referendum whether to allow foreign military bases on Ecuadorian soil for the purpose of combatting international drug trafficking.

“Baltra has been ruled out,” Noboa said in a television interview, criticizing those pushing a “no” vote on the foreign base question for “attempting to delegitimize the referendum question” by suggesting that environmental protections for the Galapagos would be eliminated.

“Our opponents want to distort things, saying that we are going to give away the islands to the gringos,” Noboa said. “No, this is not true. First, we must pass the referendum and then we will begin consultation with a country interested in stopping the drug trade and arms trafficking, probably the United States.”

“Our top priority is fighting organized crime on the country’s mainland, especially in the areas that have been most affected by violence,” the president said. Although drug transport boats are using the Galapagos as a “way station” en route to Mexico and the United States, he said aerial surveillance is a better approach for detecting and stopping illegal traffic in the Pacific Ocean.

During the interview, Noboa said that “talks are advancing” with the government of Brazil to install a joint base in the Amazon region to control drug transport routes and illegal mining. “This base would probably be in Sucumbíos or Orellana Province,” he said. “Like Ecuador, Brazil is experiencing increasing crime as a result of drug cartel routes through the Amazon region from Colombia.”