Amnesty International Urges U.S. Impartial Investigation into Attack on Ecuadorian Fishing Vessel

Amnesty International has called on the United States to urgently and impartially investigate the alleged attack on the Ecuadorian fishing vessel Fiorella, which occurred in January.

The human rights organization's appeal comes in the wake of a report by The Washington Post suggesting that the incident may have been part of a covert CIA operation.

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The role of the United States in this attack is becoming increasingly difficult to deny. U.S. authorities must investigate the incident impartially and, if sufficient admissible evidence exists, establish criminal responsibility.

Ana Piquer, Amnesty International's director for the Americas, stated that the U.S. role in the attack is becoming increasingly difficult to deny. She urged U.S. authorities to conduct an impartial investigation and establish criminal responsibility if sufficient admissible evidence exists.

The incident dates back to January 13, when the Fiorella, carrying ten fishermen, departed from the coastal province of Manabí. According to an Amnesty International report from July, the vessel was subjected to sustained surveillance by aircraft, patrols, and drones bearing U.S. symbols starting on the fourth day of its voyage.

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The boat 'would have begun to be subjected to sustained surveillance by planes, patrols, and drones with U.S. symbology.

On January 20, two smaller fishing boats detached from the Fiorella for separate fishing activities. Hours later, one of these boats lost communication with the main vessel and the other accompanying boat. The two surviving crew members reported seeing a large plume of smoke in the direction of the Fiorella, though they could not definitively confirm if it was a fire aboard the main ship, the organization noted.

Eight fishermen remain missing. Their families suspect they may have been detained and transferred to another country, a scenario similar to what happened with the crews of two other vessels, Negra Francisca Duarte II and Don Maca, which also departed from Manabí in March. These crews reported being attacked by drones and intercepted by individuals identifying as U.S. citizens, after which they were allegedly handed over to El Salvador and subsequently returned to Ecuador.

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The two sole survivors stated that they saw a large column of smoke in the direction of the Fiorella, without being able to determine with certainty if it corresponded to a fire on board the mother ship.

The Washington Post reported on August 13 that these attacks on fishing boats in Ecuadorian waters were part of a "covert action" program, a type of secret overseas operation authorized by the president where the U.S. government's role is not publicly acknowledged. However, the newspaper cautioned that the extent of the U.S. intelligence agency's involvement in these incidents remains unclear.

Furthermore, the report indicated that this alleged CIA operation is separate from the anti-narcotics campaign the U.S. has been conducting since September in the Caribbean and Pacific, where numerous boats suspected of carrying drugs have been destroyed, and over 200 people have died. Piquer emphasized that in light of this information and related reports from The New York Times, the U.S. Congress should also "continue to promote investigations."

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These attacks on fishing boats in Ecuadorian waters formed part of a 'covert action' program, a type of secret operation abroad with presidential authorization in which the role of the U.S. government is not publicly acknowledged.