Torture, Arbitrary Detentions, and Attacks on Fishermen: The Cost of the Military Alliance Between Ecuador and the U.S., According to HRW

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a compelling report titled «A Dangerous Alliance: Abuses, Unanswered Questions, and Security Cooperation Between the United States and Ecuador«. This document compiles testimonies, satellite imagery analysis, photographs, and videos that reveal a pattern of abuses occurring amid joint operations between these two nations.

The report warns that this military collaboration intensifies within a context marked by severe human rights violations perpetrated by Ecuadorian forces, drone strikes on fishing boats of unknown origin, and the disappearance of several fishermen.

Torture and Property Destruction

According to the HRW report, between March 1 and 6, 2026, Ecuadorian military personnel conducted a series of operations in the agricultural community of San Martín, located at the border between Ecuador and Colombia.

In what the United States termed a «joint operation,» soldiers arbitrarily detained and tortured four farm workers, set fire to three properties, and bombed two of them.

One victim recounted to the organization that he was subjected to electric shocks during his detention. «I was tortured with electricity, with a taser. They poured water on me and then shocked me, and I fainted,» he said, highlighting the brutality of the methods employed during the military operation.

Although Ecuadorian authorities stated that the operation targeted «Border Commandos,» and that the detainees had links to this armed group operating on both sides of the border, HRW found no credible evidence linking the destroyed properties or the farmers to criminal organizations.

In fact, the four men had no criminal records and were not prosecuted because the Prosecutor’s Office did not receive evidence from the military.

Pacific Attacks: Injured Fishermen and a Missing Vessel

The report also revealed that between January and March of this year, the vessels La Negra Francisca Duarte II and Don Maca were attacked by unidentified drones in Pacific waters, resulting in injuries to several fishermen. The most serious case is the disappearance of the Fiorella vessel, which has not been located since January 20, along with its eight crew members.

Human Rights Watch noted that Ecuadorian authorities have yet to officially confirm these incidents, while the Pentagon and the U.S. Coast Guard have denied any responsibility for the attacks.

However, 13 survivors interviewed by the organization reported being held aboard a ship by armed individuals whom they identified as American citizens in military-style uniforms, raising serious concerns about possible involvement of U.S. personnel in these operations.

Lack of Transparency and Calls for Explanations

Juanita Goebertus, the Americas director for Human Rights Watch, criticized the opacity surrounding bilateral security cooperation. «Security cooperation between the United States and Ecuador has been far too opaque and dangerous for Ecuadorians,» she stated in remarks reported by the newspaper Vistazo.

The organization indicated that it requested information from both the Ecuadorian and U.S. governments regarding these incidents but asserted that it has yet to receive responses from either administration. Since Donald Trump took office in the U.S. and Daniel Noboa was re-elected in Ecuador in 2025, both governments have intensified their security collaboration to combat organized crime, a context that, according to HRW, has created fertile ground for abuses to occur.

In light of this situation, the organization urged the U.S. Congress to compel the Republican administration to clarify the actual scope of this cooperation and verify whether sufficient safeguards exist to prevent human rights violations.

It also called on Noboa’s government to reconsider the declaration of internal armed conflict and to strengthen the justice system as a key pillar in combating organized crime.

«Joint operations against organized crime should not become an excuse for committing abuses,» Goebertus concluded.

The Human Rights Watch report coincides with Ecuador’s inclusion for the first time in the Global Torture Index 2026, compiled by the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), which ranks the Latin American country as having considerable, high, and very high-risk levels across the seven criteria analyzed.

According to the OMCT, the strengthening of armed forces’ powers for internal security tasks and the repeated declaration of states of emergency have created a situation that increases the risk of human rights violations and weakens accountability mechanisms.

The organization documented at least 51 forced disappearances allegedly committed by state agents during security operations, along with 369 torture complaints between 2024 and 2026, extrajudicial executions, and excessive use of force. These incidents occur in a context of high impunity, as most investigations have not resulted in convictions, perpetuating a cycle of abuse that disproportionately affects Afro-descendants, indigenous peoples, those in poverty, and children and adolescents.

Featured Image: Diario Expreso.

La entrada Torture, Arbitrary Detentions, and Attacks on Fishermen: The Cost of the Military Alliance Between Ecuador and the U.S., According to HRW se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.