Ecuador votes against allowing foreign military bases in country

Ecuador votes against allowing foreign military bases in the country, frustrating US plans to expand in the Eastern Pacific region. President Daniel Noboa's push for constitutional changes to reverse the ban on foreign bases was rejected in the referendum. Ecuador's key location near drug-producing countries like Colombia and Peru makes it a target for drug trafficking organizations, despite not producing cocaine itself. Noboa's administration has taken a tough stance on crime, but critics fear authoritarian tactics and wider social issues remain unsolved.