Ecuador: Invisible War
Published 17 Sep, 2026 07:58An investigative film about how the US spent years using the war on drugs as cover for maintaining a military presence in Ecuador. After the American base in Manta closed, Ecuador remained free of foreign military bases for 16 years. But under President Daniel Noboa, US troops came back for what they called a ‘temporary mission’.
Behind the big politics lie ordinary people’s lives. For more than 20 years, María has been trying to find out what happened to her husband, who vanished at sea without a trace along with 17 other fishermen. She suspects the American military may have had something to do with it.
Olga Kiriy’s film lays bare double standards and human rights violations in an attempt to determine who the real threat to Ecuadorians really is – the drug cartels or foreign military operations?
Watch “Ecuador: Invisible War” on RTD website and on RT’s live feed. The time of the broadcast is available on RT’s schedule page.