Ecuador restricts border crossings with Colombia, Peru

by · UPI

Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Ecuador restricted most of its border crossings with Colombia and Peru for "national security reasons," leaving only two international crossings open for the formal movement of people and goods.

The measure was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador on official social media accounts and has been in effect since Wednesday.

The government said the restrictions are part of President Daniel Noboa's security strategy amid rising violence linked to drug trafficking, smuggling and using informal crossings in border areas.

Situated between the world's two largest cocaine-producing countries, Ecuador shares a long and vulnerable border of about 370 miles with Colombia to the north and nearly 930 miles with Peru to the south, linking Pacific and Amazon regions.

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These border areas, marked by rivers and dense forests, are highly permeable and include numerous clandestine routes frequently used to traffic drugs, weapons and explosives.

According to the foreign ministry and security authorities, the decision aims to concentrate the movement of people and goods at crossings with greater control capacity, strengthen migration and customs oversight and reduce risks associated with illicit activities operating in areas with limited state supervision.

The government said the Rumichaca crossing on the northern border with Colombia and Huaquillas on the southern border with Peru will remain open.

The measure was formally communicated to the governments of Peru and Colombia.

Peru's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has contacted its Ecuadorian counterpart to "adopt measures to manage the current situation and jointly strengthen the fight against transnational organized crime and the control of irregular migration," according to Peruvian news organization RPP.

In recent weeks, Noboa held separate meetings with Peru's president in Quito and with Chilean president-elect José Antonio Kast, focusing on security and regional coordination.

During the meeting with Peru's delegation, officials discussed bilateral cooperation and coordination along the border amid tighter controls and surveillance.

Separately, Noboa received Kast at the Carondelet Palace. According to the Ecuadorian government, discussions covered security, as well as trade and human mobility, with an emphasis on confronting threats linked to organized crime.

Ecuador has received support from the United States to bolster the Noboa administration's security policy, particularly through operational cooperation, information sharing and institutional strengthening.

In policing and border and port control, the Ecuadorian government and the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador have highlighted technical assistance, training and providing equipment to strengthen capabilities against drug trafficking and organized crime.