Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has entered into a strategic alliance with Erik Prince, the founder of the private security and military company, now known as Academi, formerly Blackwater. The announcement was made on the platform X, where Noboa explained that the decision was taken to combat the growing threat of organized crime in Ecuador, which he believes has been able to act with impunity for too long.
According to the President, the alliance is a form of international help for his government, aimed at waging a war against drug-related crime. In a statement, Noboa declared, “There is no ceasefire, no retreat, we are on the advance.”
The agreement has, however, raised concerns among many Ecuadorians, with many commenters on social media questioning the nature of the alliance and whether it is compatible with the country’s constitution. Others have pointed out that Ecuador will be paying for the services of the private security firm, rather than receiving international help.
Academi, founded by Prince, has been involved in various armed conflicts worldwide, often making profits from the chaos. In 2021, Prince offered to evacuate Afghans from the country for a fee of $6,500 as the Taliban advanced and the company was also involved in a massacre of 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad during the Iraq War.
In recent years, Ecuador’s security situation has deteriorated significantly, with the country’s geographical location and shared borders with major cocaine-producing countries, such as Colombia and Peru, providing an advantage for organized crime. The country’s lack of a national currency, in favor of the US dollar, has also made it easier for money laundering and criminal organizations have infiltrated the country’s politics and institutions.