US/Ecuador Operation Revealed to Commit Severe Human Rights Abuses

Author: Aahana Negwakar

August 21, 2026

HRRC condemns the human rights abuses being committed on innocent civilians at the Colombia-Ecuador border. Both governments (Ecuador and US) must take accountability and implement real safeguards to protect the general public.

[Image credit: Wikimedia Commons]

A 94-page Human Rights Watch report, published in July, discusses findings of blatant human rights violations at the Colombia-Ecuador border, perpetrated by members of Ecuador's military against innocent civilians residing along the border. The report identifies these abuses as being in part due to the US-Ecuador security partnership; the connection subsequently raises questions about accountability and transparency. 

The report, A Dangerous Partnership: Abuses, Unanswered Questions, and US-Ecuador Security Cooperation, documents several cases of abuse along the Ecuador-Colombian border that involved Ecuadorian security forces. In one operation, four farm workers were reportedly tortured and arbitrarily detained under the guise of a “partnered operation”. Security forces later burned and struck a dairy farm. However, these recent human rights incidents are especially concerning because the United States has increasingly supported Ecuador’s security efforts through equipment, training, intelligence, and direct military assistance, which was initially signed to combat a severe surge in violence driven by transnational drug cartels and criminal networks.

The report also raises concerns about the disappearance of several civilian fishermen, in addition to other civilian injuries, which was publicly justified by the partnership. Two fishing boats were attacked by drones of unknown origin, injuring several crew members, while a third boat and most of its crew remain missing. Although the attacks have not been directly attributed to either government, Human Rights Watch argues that the lack of information about who carried them out or why they were targeted makes it difficult to determine responsibility and raises concerns about the accountability of the security partnership.

Ultimately, the issue extends beyond the individual abuses themselves, reflecting on the idea that unjust international violence is going unpunished. The United States and Ecuador have not publicly disclosed enough information about their security cooperation or the safeguards intended to prevent human rights violations. Security partnerships to combat real problems like trafficking can help governments respond to organized crime, but they should not come at the expense of civilian rights. 

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Glossary

• Arbitrary Detention – the arrest or deprivation of liberty of an individual by a government or state actor without a lawful basis or proper legal procedure.

• Accountability – subject to the obligation to report, explain, or justify something

• Forcible – characterized by the use of force or violence

• Safeguard – something that serves as a protection or defense or that ensures safety