Forced disappearances and torture: Ecuador’s war on drugs is brutal – and backed by US troops

Since Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa declared an "internal armed conflict" in early 2024, security forces have allegedly forcibly disappeared at least 51 people, including minors Jairo Damián Tapia Álvarez and Jostin Elian Álvarez Chávez, who reported torture and threats of death. These abuses have increased amid expanded support from Western powers, including the US, for Ecuador's counter-narcotics efforts as the country serves as a major cocaine transit hub.