U.S. Air Base Thorny Issue for Colombia

Washington will almost certainly be eyeing the large and well-equipped Palanquero air base

With a U.S military air base in the Ecuadorian coastal city of Manta scheduled to be shut down later this year, it looks increasingly likely that Colombia will step in as a new host for U.S. military assets in the region.

Newly re-elected Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa (see Henry Mance's WPR Briefing) has refused to renew Washington's decade-long lease when it expires in November, arguing that the presence of U.S troops undermines the country's sovereignty.

With Washington looking for a new hub for its counternarcotics operations in Latin America, speculation has been rife in recent months about Colombia's possible role once the Manta base is closed.

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