US Lawmakers Urge Rubio to Suspend Security Cooperation With Ecuador

November 7, 2026 | By Semahegn Nigatu

Thirteen US Democratic lawmakers have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to suspend security assistance and military cooperation with Ecuador, citing what they describe as growing authoritarianism, human rights abuses and restrictions on democratic freedoms under President Daniel Noboa.

In a letter led by Representatives Jesús “Chuy” García of Illinois, Jonathan Jackson of Illinois and Greg Casar of Texas, the lawmakers raised concerns over the arrest of former presidential candidate Luisa González and what they described as a crackdown on opposition officials and political parties.

The lawmakers said Ecuador had experienced repression of opposition figures, attacks on judicial independence and restrictions on press freedom under Noboa's administration.

They called on Rubio to "immediately suspend all U.S. security assistance and military cooperation with the Noboa administration until democracy and the rule of law are fully restored, and the persecution of González and other opposition figures and parties cease."

The letter also accused the government of using prolonged states of emergency to exercise extraordinary powers and restrict civil liberties. It cited allegations of torture, extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and sexual abuse in women's prisons.

The lawmakers warned that Congress could use its authority to press for a change in US policy if the Trump administration continued expanding security ties with Ecuador despite the concerns raised in the letter.

"The United States cannot credibly claim to support democracy and the fight against drug-trafficking and organized crime while at the same time expanding its security relationship with a government that is rapidly tightening its authoritarian grip on power," they wrote.

The letter was also signed by Representatives Jasmine Crockett, Adelita Grijalva, Hank Johnson, Ro Khanna, Summer Lee, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Rashida Tlaib and Nydia Velázquez.

The lawmakers' appeal comes as the Trump administration has deepened military ties with Ecuador, according to the letter. They urged the State Department to make the continuation of security cooperation conditional on respect for democratic institutions and the rule of law.

Source: FSX Business News