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🇦🇷 Argentina /Conflict & Security

Ecuadorian Fishermen Describe Their “Ordeal” After US Military Intercepts Their Boat

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Ecuadorian fishermen said US military personnel intercepted and destroyed their boat during operations targeting suspected links to the Los Choneros criminal group.
  • The fishermen were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities and released without charges after reaching Manta.
  • The operations have heightened fear among fishermen, while Human Rights Watch has reported other suspected attacks and disappearances that Washington denies involvement in.

For Eduardo Holguín, the encounter began with helicopters hovering close to his boat and pointing weapons at the crew. Then a vessel carrying US military personnel arrived. “From there, the ordeal began for us,” he told AFP.

Holguín was aboard the Ecuadorian-flagged Conquista 2, which the US Southern Command said it had intercepted because it allegedly supported the Ecuadorian criminal group Los Choneros. Holguín denies any connection to drug trafficking. He said the military took control of the boat, moved the crew to another vessel, and then blew up their fishing boat.

The 41-year-old recalled seeing a translator and “gringos” on the other vessel. He said soldiers put a hood and ear protectors on him. The crew received food, but he said the events had left them with no appetite.

From there, the ordeal began for us.

· Eduardo HolguínHe described the moment US military personnel boarded and took control of his fishing boat.

The fishermen were later handed over to Ecuador’s navy and taken to Manta, the country’s main fishing port in the southwest. Juan Carlos Posligua, 44, who was also aboard the Conquista 2, said he had gone three days without sleeping or eating. After reaching shore, the crew spent time at a police station before authorities released them the next day without charges.

“We had nothing illicit. We are ordinary fishermen who went out to work and bring home the daily bread,” Posligua said. Since Aug. 28, military forces have sunk four Ecuadorian boats over suspected ties to Los Choneros. Human Rights Watch has said three Ecuadorian vessels were presumably attacked by US forces between January and March, leaving at least eight people missing. Washington rejects any link to those disappearances.

The operations have unsettled fishermen in Manta and nearby communities. Posligua, who has worked at sea for 28 years, now questions whether he will return. Holguín said finding work on land is difficult, but added that if returning to sea is necessary, he may have no choice.

We had nothing illicit. We are ordinary fishermen who went out to work and bring home the daily bread.

· Juan Carlos PosliguaHe defended the crew after they were released without charges.
About this summary

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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