Overview
- A New York Times investigation published this week reports that U.S. troops did not directly carry out the blast shown in a widely shared video and that Ecuadorian soldiers filmed the explosion.
- The Pentagon’s press secretary said the action was conducted jointly with Ecuador, while U.S. officials described their role as providing intelligence support and a helicopter rather than conducting the bombardment.
- Workers and residents near San Martín told reporters that Ecuadorian forces torched farm shelters, beat several men, and used suffocation and electric shocks during interrogations before returning to bomb the site.
- Ecuador’s army said the property served as a weapons hideout and training camp for about 50 traffickers and as a rest area for a Colombian armed-group leader, claiming weapons and other signs of illicit activity without releasing corroborating evidence.
- La Jornada and La República relayed the Times’ findings as they questioned official messaging that showcased a dramatic blast video to tout a new U.S.-Ecuador anti-drug push, a dispute that could spur demands for independent proof and reviews of civilian harm.