Thirteen Democratic members of the United States House of Representatives have urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to suspend all American security assistance and military cooperation with Ecuador, accusing President Daniel Noboa's government of dismantling democracy and the rule of law.

The letter, led by Representatives Jesus Garcia, Jonathan Jackson and Greg Casar and signed by ten colleagues, calls for the suspension to remain until democracy and the rule of law are fully restored and the persecution of opposition figures ends. It warns that if the administration does not act, Congress will use the tools at its disposal to force a change in policy.

The lawmakers point to the arrest of former presidential candidate Luisa Gonzalez, who was detained on 22 October as part of a tax investigation into alleged irregularities during her 2023 campaign, and to the cases of the mayors of Quito and Guayaquil. They say the government has persecuted opponents, weakened judicial independence and restricted press freedom, and cite alleged abuses including torture, extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and sexual abuse in women's prisons.

The letter comes as Ecuador has spent about a thousand days under a state of emergency, with the government ordering four curfews during 2026 to support joint operations with the United States. The lawmakers argue that Washington cannot credibly claim to support democracy while expanding its security relationship with a government tightening its grip, and they also call for an investigation into American involvement in alleged abuses against civilians.

[Source: chuygarcia.house.gov](http://chuygarcia.house.gov/media/press-releases/garcia-jackson-casar-lead-colleagues-in-letter-to-secretary-rubio-urging-suspension-of-military-assistance-to-ecuador-as-president-noboa-escalates-repression) | [Source: cuencahighlife.com](https://cuencahighlife.com/u-s-congress-members-threaten-to-end-trumps-military-alliance-with-noboa-over-human-rights-abuses/)