Civilians faced attacks, abuse in joint US-Ecuador operations, HRW says

A Human Rights Watch report says civilians in Ecuador were caught up in joint anti-drug and anti-crime operations involving U.S. and Ecuadorian forces, with farmers and fishermen among those reportedly affected between January and March.

According to the monitored public feed summary from Al Jazeera Latest, the report says civilians faced attacks and abuse during operations carried out over that three-month period. The findings point to the human cost of intensified security actions as authorities in Ecuador have stepped up efforts against organized crime and drug trafficking.

The report’s focus on rural workers is notable. Farmers and fishermen often live and work in areas where state operations are more likely to be conducted, and the summary indicates they were among those drawn into the violence and mistreatment described by Human Rights Watch. The feed did not provide further detail on the number of people affected, the specific incidents cited, or the agencies involved in each case.

Joint operations between the United States and Ecuador have been part of wider efforts to confront criminal networks in the country, which has seen rising insecurity in recent years. But the HRW report, as described in the feed, suggests that the way these operations were carried out may have harmed civilians rather than protecting them.

The summary says the report presents evidence of attacks and abuse, but it does not include the full list of allegations or any response from the governments involved. It also does not state whether the findings have prompted official investigations or policy changes.

This article is based on a monitored public feed and summarizes the available details from the report as described by Al Jazeera Latest.

Source: Al Jazeera Latest - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/21/civilians-faced-attacks-abuse-in-joint-us-ecuador-operations-hrw-says?traffic_source=rss