Noboa says 2,000 hectares of coca production are being destroyed near the Colombia border

President Daniel Noboa announced Monday that the armed forces are conducting military operations to destroy recently discovered coca plantations. He did not say where the plantations are located but a television news report last week said they are near the Colombian border.

President Daniel Noboa

Noboa said the plantations were identified through satellite images and drone overflights. “Approximately 2,000 hectares of the crop were revealed with international assistance and eradication efforts are underway,” he said. Historically, Ecuador has been able to keep coca production from spreading south from Colombia and we will not permit it now.”

According to experts interviewed by Ecuavisa, the coca plantations have been in operation for about three years, coinciding with the rise of drug trafficking violence in Ecuador.

Noboa said the eradication mission is not only intended to keep Ecuador out of the cocaine production business but to eliminate sources of income for international drug trafficking organizations. “We are taking firm steps to interrupt their money supply and shutting down these plantations is part of that process.”

The president also said the military is taking a stronger approach to fighting illegal mining. “Like the coca plantations, illegal gold mining is a source for drug cartels to make and launder money, and we are increasing our missions to stop it,” he said. “In recent weeks, we have closed more than 80 illegal mines in the Amazon, in Camilo Ponce Enríquez and in Imbabura Province.”

He added that illegal mining is also a growing source of violence, as criminal gangs battle each other for mining territory. “Besides the death toll, there is pollution of our rivers and lakes by mercury and other chemicals that affect the health of those living in rural areas.”