By Alexandra Valencia
QUITO (Reuters) -A measure that would allow the return of foreign military bases to Ecuador looked set to fail in a Sunday referendum, as a count of more than 80% of ballots showed nearly two-thirds rejection of the proposal.
A separate proposal to convene an assembly to rewrite the constitution had more than 61% rejection with nearly 80% of votes counted.
The losses on the measures are a blow to President Daniel Noboa, who had backed both, saying foreign cooperation, including shared or foreign bases within the country, is central to fighting organized crime and that the current constitution, drafted under former leftist President Rafael Correa, must be revised to reflect the country’s new reality.
Once considered one of the safest countries in Latin America, Ecuador has become a key drug transit hub in recent years because of its location on the Pacific, triggering an unprecedented security crisis and battering its already-fragile economy.
Correa celebrated the ‘no’ vote on the constitutional assembly measure, saying the Ecuadorean people have now approved the current constitution twice – in its original approval 17 years ago and on Sunday.
(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia in Quito, writing by Julia Symmes Cobb)
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