New alert in Manabí: at least 20 fishermen from the 'Don Maca' vessel lose communication with the port Since March 26, the fishing vessel Don Maca has not registered any signal or communication after setting out to fish off the coast of Manabí. Relatives of the fishermen from the 'Don Maca' vessel arrive outside the port captain's office in Manta, on March 30, 2026, to ask for help in finding them. - Photo: Primicias Author: Primicias Newsroom Updated: March 30, 2026 - 9:55 AM Just days after Manabí fishermen were rescued in El Salvador and returned alive to Manta, concern has resurfaced in this fishing port of Manabí with a similar incident. This time, the vessel involved is the 'Don Maca,' a ship that has not communicated with the port authority since March 26, 2026. Following the alert, residents of San Mateo, south of Manta, requested assistance from the authorities to locate the crew of the 'Don Maca,' which set out on a fishing trip with at least 20 men. It is known that the satellite tracking system signal and communication from the vessel were lost on March 26, 2026. X You choose how you get your news Add PRIMICIAS as a preferred source And the last communications received from the ship were on March 25, 2026. Side view of the ship 'Don Maca', which lost contact with the Port Authority of Manta, Manabí, on March 30, 2026. Courtesy Therefore, on the morning of March 30, 2026, relatives of the fishermen from San Mateo, Santa Marianita, and Jaramijó arrived at the Port Authority of Manta to request information and demand answers. "It hurts me a lot because my only brother, my husband, and my husband's nephew are on board. We are distressed. We want them to help us," said a relative of the fishermen. Cristhian Mendoza, owner of the Don Maca vessel, confirmed that they have filed all necessary reports and coordinated with the Port Authority to conduct the search. This case comes amidst the return of 16 fishermen from Manabí, most of them from San Mateo (Manta), who were missing at sea for eight days. That crew was from the vessel Negra Francisca Duarte II, which caught fire on March 17, 2026, approximately 385 miles from Manta (Manabí) and 235 miles from San Cristóbal (Galápagos).

Nueva alerta en Manabí: al menos 20 pescadores del barco 'Don Maca' pierden comunicación con el puerto Desde el pasado 26 de marzo, la embarcación pesquera Don Maca no registra señal ni comunicación tras salir a faenas de pesca en las costas de Manabí.  Familiares de los pescadores de la embarcación 'Don Maca' llegan a los exteriores de la capitanía del puerto de Manta, para pedir ayuda para encontrarlos, el 30 de marzo de 2026.- FotoPrimicias Autor: Redacción Primicias Actualizada: 30 Mar 2026 - 09:55 Apenas días después de que pescadores manabitas fueron rescatados en El Salvador y retornaron con vida a Manta, la preocupación se enciende nuevamente en este puerto pesquero de Manabí y con un hecho similar. En esta ocasión el barco involucrado es 'Don Maca', una embarcación que no registra comunicación con la capitanía del puerto desde el 26 de marzo de 2026.  Ante la alerta, moradores de San Mateo, al sur de Manta, pidieron ayuda de las autoridades para dar con la tripulación de 'Don Maca', que salió a faenas de pesca con al menos 20 hombres.  Se conoce que la señal del sistema de rastreo satelital y la comunicación de la embarcación se perdió el 26 de marzo de 2026. X Tú eliges cómo te informas Agrega a PRIMICIAS como fuente preferida Y las últimas comunicaciones recibidas por parte del barco fue durante el 25 de marzo de 2026.  Vista lateral del barco 'Don Maca', que perdió señal con la capitanía de Manta, Manabí, el 30 de marzo de 2026.Cortesía Por ello, la mañana de este 30 de marzo de 2026, familiares de los pescadores de San Mateo, Santa Marianita y Jaramijó, llegaron hasta la Capitanía del Puerto de Manta, para pedir información y exigir respuestas. "Me duele mucho porque está mi único hermano, mi esposo y el sobrino de mi esposo. Estamos angustiados. Queremos que nos ayuden", dijo un familiar de los pescadores.  Cristhian Mendoza, propietario de la embarcación Don Maca, aseguró que han puesto todas las denuncias necesarias y que coordinaron con la Capitanía para realizar la búsqueda.  Este caso sucede en medio del retorno de los 16 pescadores manabitas, la mayoría de San Mateo (Manta), que estuvieron ocho días desaparecidos en altamar.  Esa tripulación era del barco la Negra Francisca Duarte II que se incendió el 17 de marzo de 2026 a unas 385 millas de Manta (Manabí) y a 235 millas de San Cristóbal (Galápagos)

The 22 fishermen who made up the crew of the fishing vessel Don Maca were located alive by a Salvadoran coast guard vessel, after having been missing since March 26, 2026. The information was released this Thursday, April 2, outside the Port Captaincy of Manta, according to Gustavo Chiriboga, legal representative of the fishing sector. More news: Salvadoran Navy rescues 16 Ecuadorians adrift at sea; Surprising rescue: five fishermen survived 50 days shipwrecked in Ecuador; Where were the Ecuadorian fishermen from the Don Maca found? The Don Maca, along with six auxiliary boats, lost satellite and telephone contact on Thursday, March 26, when it was about 700 miles north of the province of Manabí. Chiriboga indicated that the fishermen are being transported to a safe port in Salvadoran territory. He also specified that there is an exchange of information with maritime authorities to fully confirm the crew's identity. Who are the Ecuadorian fishermen rescued in El Salvador? The crew members are from San Mateo, Manta, and Jaramijó. After their disappearance, their families demanded answers regarding the abrupt loss of signal. The representative of the fishing sector indicated that contact has already been made with the port captain, Mario Chong. However, Salvadoran authorities requested the official crew list to complete the technical verification of identities. The fishing vessel lost satellite and telephone communication while sailing on the high seas, a great distance from the Ecuadorian coast. The case still requires technical verification by maritime authorities. What is known about the case of the Negra Francisca Duarte II vessel? The Don Maca case occurs within a context of risk for fishing vessels in the region. Days earlier, the vessel Negra Francisca Duarte II was involved in a maritime accident on March 17, 2026, 235 miles off the coast of San Cristóbal, in the Galápagos Islands. In that incident, 16 crew members were stranded for eight days. The Salvadoran Navy carried out the rescue, and the group is expected to arrive at Eloy Alfaro Airport in Manta this weekend. The investigation into the Negra Francisca Duarte II incident continues. Jorge Chiriboga, the lawyer for the group of fishermen, stated on March 19 that the incident was not accidental. According to him, witnesses reported the presence of a submarine, an airplane, a drone, and a coast guard vessel at the time of the incident. What will Ecuador and El Salvador do after the fishermen's rescue? Following the discovery of the Don Maca, maritime authorities from Ecuador and El Salvador are coordinating efforts to clarify the causes of the disappearance and reinforce security on Pacific fishing routes. With information from El Diario Manabí. Additional information: Fishermen. Salvadoran Navy rescues 16 Ecuadorians adrift at sea. 16 Ecuadorians were rescued at sea by the Salvadoran Navy. Continue reading

Los 22 pescadores que integran la tripulación del barco pesquero Don Maca fueron localizados con vida por una guardacostas de El Salvador, tras permanecer desaparecidos desde el 26 de marzo de 2026. La información se conoció este jueves 2 de abril en los exteriores de la Capitanía del Puerto de Manta, según explicó Gustavo Chiriboga, representante legal del sector pesquero.Más noticiasArmada de El Salvador rescata a 16 ecuatorianos que estaban a la deriva en altamarSorprendente rescate: cinco pescadores sobrevivieron 50 días de naufragio en EcuadorDónde encontraron a los pescadores ecuatorianos del Don MacaEl Don Maca, junto a seis lanchas auxiliares, perdió contacto satelital y telefónico el jueves 26 de marzo, cuando se encontraba a unas 700 millas al norte de la provincia de Manabí.Chiriboga indicó que los pescadores se encuentran en traslado hacia un puerto seguro en territorio salvadoreño. También precisó que existe un cruce de información con autoridades marítimas para confirmar plenamente la identidad de la tripulación.Quiénes son los pescadores ecuatorianos rescatados en El SalvadorLos tripulantes son originarios de San Mateo, Manta y Jaramijó. Tras la desaparición, sus familias exigieron respuestas ante la interrupción abrupta de la señal.El representante del sector pesquero señaló que ya existió contacto con el capitán del puerto, Mario Chong. Sin embargo, las autoridades salvadoreñas solicitaron el listado oficial de la tripulación para completar la verificación técnica de identidades.El barco pesquero perdió comunicación satelital y telefónica mientras navegaba en altamar, a gran distancia de la costa ecuatoriana. El caso aún requiere verificación técnica por parte de autoridades marítimas.Esta información le puede interesar: Recuperan 70 cadáveres tras naufragio de barco con migrantes que iba a EspañaQué se sabe del caso del barco Negra Francisca Duarte IIEl caso del Don Maca ocurre en un contexto de riesgo para embarcaciones pesqueras de la región. Días antes, el buque Negra Francisca Duarte II registró un siniestro de tránsito marítimo el 17 de marzo de 2026, a 235 millas de San Cristóbal, en las Islas Galápagos.En ese caso, 16 tripulantes quedaron incomunicados durante ocho días. La Armada de El Salvador ejecutó el rescate y el grupo espera su arribo al Aeropuerto Eloy Alfaro de Manta durante este fin de semana.Investigación sobre el siniestro del Negra Francisca Duarte IIEl caso del Negra Francisca Duarte II continúa bajo investigación. Jorge Chiriboga, abogado de ese grupo de pescadores, señaló el 19 de marzo que el siniestro no sería accidental.Según su versión, testigos reportaron la presencia de un submarino, un avión, un dron y un guardacostas en el momento del incidente.Qué harán Ecuador y El Salvador tras el rescate de pescadoresTras el hallazgo del Don Maca, autoridades marítimas de Ecuador y El Salvador avanzan en la coordinación para esclarecer las causas de la desaparición y reforzar la seguridad en las rutas pesqueras del Pacífico.Con información de El Diario Manabí Información extra: Pescadores Armada de El Salvador rescata a 16 ecuatorianos que estaban a la deriva en altamar16 ecuatorianos fueron rescatados en altamar por la Armada de El Salvador.Continuar leyendo

Relatives of 20 Ecuadorian fishermen said Thursday that their vessel had been found in Salvadoran waters after going missing for more than a week. The boat lost contact on March 26 after leaving Manta, Ecuador’s main fishing port. Families received word of the rescue and an audio message from one of the crew members that same day. Jorge Chiriboga, the fishermen’s lawyer, said the men are well. “They are well and we hope they return to Ecuador soon,” he told reporters. “We never lost faith,” said Naomi Quijije, the wife and sister of two of the passengers. The vessel, identified locally as the Don Maca, had departed Manta on March 18 with the group aboard for a routine fishing trip. Initial reports from families listed 19 people on board. The number was updated to 20 on Thursday after officials and relatives were notified of the rescue. Families had gathered at the port captaincy in Manta in recent days to press authorities for information. The news of the crew’s safety brought immediate relief to communities in Manta, Jaramijó and nearby areas of Manabí province, where many of the fishermen live. Manta serves as Ecuador’s primary fishing hub on the Pacific coast. The port also lies along routes used by drug traffickers moving narcotics northward. Families grew concerned after the boat owner reported that planes had flown overhead while the crew worked in the area. The United States has carried out operations in the Pacific against vessels suspected of drug trafficking, including the bombing of some boats. Those reports added to the anxiety during the search. The rescue took place roughly 700 miles north of Manta in international waters. The crew is being transferred to El Salvador for processing before authorities arrange their return to Ecuador. This marks the second time in recent weeks that Salvadoran naval forces have assisted Ecuadorian fishermen in distress. In late March, the Salvadoran navy rescued 16 other Ecuadorian crew members whose boat, the Negra Francisca Duarte II, suffered a fire about 385 miles from Manta near the Galápagos Islands. Those men were also brought to safety in El Salvador before returning home. Ecuadorian fishing operations in the eastern Pacific face growing risks from weather, mechanical issues and the broader security environment tied to regional drug flows. Manta’s dual role as a fishing center and transit point has drawn attention from international anti-narcotics efforts. The Capitanía del Puerto de Manta had been coordinating with Ecuadorian naval authorities and families since contact was lost on March 26 at around 5 p.m. local time. Discrepancies had surfaced earlier between official departure records and the number of crew members reported by families and the boat owner. Those differences were resolved with Thursday’s confirmation that 20 men were safe. Local leaders in Manabí described the outcome as a “miracle” after days of uncertainty. One family member who took part in daily gatherings at the port said the audio message confirmed the crew’s identity and condition. Authorities have not released full details on the exact circumstances that led to the loss of contact or the precise location of the rescue operation. Ecuador’s coast guard and navy continue to monitor the situation. The crew members are expected to undergo medical checks in El Salvador before boarding arrangements are made for their trip back to Manta. Families said they will wait for the men to arrive before seeking further information about what happened at sea. The incident underscores the challenges faced by small-scale fishing fleets operating far from Ecuador’s coast. With limited satellite coverage in some zones and the vast expanse of the Pacific, such disappearances remain a recurring concern for coastal communities. The 20 fishermen were confirmed safe and in the care of Salvadoran officials. Their return to Ecuador is anticipated in the coming days.

Security Fishermen from the 'Don Maca' vessel who arrived in Manta say they were "surrounded by drones" and detained by a U.S. ship. Relatives of 18 of the 20 Ecuadorian fishermen rescued in El Salvador arrived at Eloy Alfaro Airport in Manta, Manabí, on the morning of April 7. "Thank God we are alive, we were reborn," they said. The 18 fishermen from Manabí, Ecuador, aboard the vessel 'Don Maca', who were rescued in international waters, arrived in Manta on April 7, 2026. - Photo: Ariel Ochoa / API Author: Primicias Newsroom Updated: April 7, 2026 - 9:32 AM On the morning of April 7, relatives of the crew of the 'Don Maca' arrived at the Eloy Alfaro Airport in Manta, Manabí, to welcome 18 of the 20 fishermen who were located in El Salvador on April 2. The others arrived the day before. Only three of the 16 fishermen from Manabí rescued in El Salvador arrived in Ecuador. "Thank God we are alive, we were reborn," said Oscar Marín upon his arrival at the airport. “We were fishing, and the day we started packing up, around 4:00 PM, we heard the first explosion. I was icing the boat and saw a drone explode. Then we went to the bow, and another drone was circling us. We got in the boat and went to a US ship. They handcuffed us and put hoods over our heads.” Jonathan Villafuerte, a fisherman from Manabí who was rescued. His companions corroborated this account. The crew members say they ended up in El Salvador. Cristian Mendoza, owner of the boat ‘Don Maca,’ announced that lawyers are already reviewing the case and that they “lost around USD 400,000, and the boat wasn’t insured.” X You choose how you get your news Add PRIMICIAS as a preferred source Jaramijó, the fishing village of Manabí, caught between state neglect and the temptations of organized crime The vessel ‘Don Maca’ set sail on March 17 from the Port of Manta with six trawlers. Satellite and communication signals were lost on March 26. The crew is made up of fishermen from San Mateo, Santa Marianita, and Jaramijó. After arriving in Manta, the fishermen were taken to health centers for a comprehensive evaluation, including psychological assessments. In addition to the crew's accounts, authorities must investigate the circumstances to clarify this case, which follows the rescue of 16 fishermen from the vessel ‘Negra Francisca Duarte II’ in the Central American country.

Seguridad Pescadores del barco 'Don Maca' que llegaron a Manta dicen que fueron "rodeados por drones" y detenidos por un barco de Estados Unidos Familiares de 18 de los 20 pescadores ecuatorianos rescatados en El Salvador llegaron al Aeropuerto Eloy Alfaro de Manta, en Manabí, la mañana de este 7 de abril. “Gracias a Dios estamos con vida, volvimos a nacer", aseguran. Los 18 pescadores manabitas de la embarcación 'Don Maca', quienes fueron rescatados en aguas internacionales, llegaron a Manta este 7 de abril de 2026.- FotoAriel Ochoa / API Autor: Redacción Primicias Actualizada: 07 Abr 2026 - 09:32 La mañana de este 7 de abril, familiares de la tripulación del barco ‘Don Maca' llegaron hasta el Aeropuerto Eloy Alfaro de Manta, en Manabí, para recibir a 18 de los 20 pescadores que fueron localizados en El Salvador el pasado 2 de abril. Un día antes llegaron los demás. Solo tres de los 16 pescadores manabitas rescatados en El Salvador arribaron a Ecuador “Gracias a Dios estamos con vida, volvimos a nacer”, dijo Oscar Marín a su llegada al aeropuerto. “Estábamos pescando y el día que comenzamos a recoger, tipo 16:00, escuchamos el primer bombazo; yo estaba enhielando y vi un dron que hizo explosión. Luego nos fuimos a la proa y nos estaba rodeando otro dron; cogimos la lancha y nos fuimos a un barco de los gringos. Ellos nos esposaron y nos pusieron capuchas”. Jonathan Villafuerte, pescador manabita rescatado. Con esta versión coincidieron sus compañeros. Finalmente, los tripulantes aseguran que aparecieron en El Salvador. Cristian Mendoza, dueño del barco ‘Don Maca', anunció que los abogados ya están estudiando el caso y que “pierden alrededor de unos USD 400.000 y (el barco) no tenía seguro”. X Tú eliges cómo te informas Agrega a PRIMICIAS como fuente preferida Jaramijó, la caleta pesquera de Manabí, entre el olvido estatal y las tentaciones del crimen organizado La embarcación ‘Don Maca’ zarpó el 17 de marzo desde el Puerto de Manta con seis lanchas de arrastre. La señal satelital y de comunicación se perdió el 26 de marzo. La tripulación está conformada por pescadores de San Mateo, Santa Marianita y Jaramijó. Tras el arribo a Manta, los pescadores fueron trasladados a centros de salud para una valoración integral, que incluye la psicológica. A más de las versiones de la tripulación, las autoridades deben investigar las circunstancias para esclarecer este caso, que se suma a los 16 pescadores del barco la ‘Negra Francisca Duarte II', que también fueron rescatados en el país centroamericano.

Subscribe to our notifications to receive the latest news and updates. You must enable notifications on your device to subscribe to the latest news. The fishermen rescued by a boat in El Salvador arrived in Ecuador after being lost at sea. Updated: April 7, 2026 - 8:37 AM. 18 of the 22 fishermen who belonged to the mother ship "Don Maca" arrived at Eloy Alfaro International Airport in Manta on the morning of Tuesday, April 7, 2026, after being rescued at sea in El Salvador. The "Don Maca" set sail from Manta on March 18 to carry out fishing operations. However, on Thursday, March 26, at 5:00 PM, the satellite tracking system stopped transmitting a signal. Along with the mother ship, five boats were stranded about 700 miles north of Manabí. The fishermen were found adrift in a vessel by a frigate of the Salvadoran Navy. Family and friends of the fishermen gathered at the Manta airport to welcome them. There was applause, signs, hugs, and tears of joy. Arrival at the Manta airport of the 18 Manabí fishermen from the vessel “Don Maca”. API

Suscríbete a nuestras notificaciones para recibir las últimas noticias y actualizaciones. Debes habilitar las notificaciones en tu dispositivo para suscribirte a las últimas noticias. Los pescadores que fueron rescatados por una lancha en El Salvador llegaron a Ecuador tras estar desaparecidos en altamar. Actualizado:07 abr 2026 - 08:3718 de los 22 pescadores que pertenecían al barco nodriza ‘Don Maca’ llegaron al Aeropuerto Internacional Eloy Alfaro de Manta la mañana de este martes 7 de abril del 2026 tras ser rescatados en altamar, en El Salvador.El “Don Maca” zarpó de Manta el pasado 18 de marzo para realizar faenas de pesca. Sin embargo, el jueves 26 de marzo a las 17:00, el sistema de rastreo satelital dejó de emitir señal. Junto al barco nodriza, cinco lanchas quedaron incomunicadas a unas 700 millas al norte de Manabí.Los pescadores fueron hallados a la deriva en una embarcación por una fragata de la Armada del Salvador. Familiares y amigos de los pescadores se concentraron en el aeropuerto de Manta para recibirlos. Hubo aplausos, carteles, abrazos y lágrimas de felicidad. Arribo al aeropuerto de Manta, de los 18 pescadores manabitas de la embarcación “Don Maca”.API

In the fishing coves of Manabí, fear is growing over alleged interceptions and bombings of ships at sea by U.S. military forces. Crew members claim to have been victims of such attacks. In the province, there are at least 130 mother ships, that is, vessels that carry trawlers and set out on fishing trips lasting up to 30 days. This type of fishing is called longline fishing or ocean fishing. These vessels are not supposed to cross the 200-mile limit of the Galapagos Exclusive Economic Zone, although fishermen admit that they do. Fishermen from the ship 'Don Maca,' who arrived in Manta, say they were "surrounded by drones" and detained by a U.S. ship. According to information from the Manta Port Authority, the operations depend on the location of the ships, whether they are searches or patrols. In the west, the United States is responsible, to the north Colombia, and to the south Peru. Testimonies of alleged attacks came to light after fishermen from the boats La Negra Francisca Duarte II and Don Maca were located in El Salvador. Upon their return to the city of Manta, both crews agreed that they were "surrounded by drones" and detained by U.S. ships. "We were fishing, and the day we started packing up, around 4:00 p.m., we heard the first explosion; I was icing the boat and saw a drone explode. Then we went to the bow, and another drone was surrounding us; we took the boat and went to a U.S. ship. They handcuffed us and put hoods on us." Jonathan Villafuerte, fisherman from the boat 'Don Maca'. "We were coming back from fishing; we weren't armed. Suddenly, we saw a drone approach and explode in the cabin. Then I looked to the back; the The fire was already well underway… In two boats, we approached an American ship, and they handcuffed us and treated us like prisoners. We were afraid they were going to kill us,” recounted Hernán Flores, captain of the Negra Francisca Duarte II. These testimonies are corroborated by statements from family members and the owner of the Fiorella, a ship that has been missing with eight fishermen from Jaramijó and Manta since January 20, 2026. Relatives of the crew of the Fiorella, which disappeared with eight fishermen. Primicias. “Two crew members returned (in a boat) because they were fishing separately, but prior to the disappearance of the mother ship, they saw a drone circling them, but they continued fishing; after that, they spotted smoke to the north,” stated Juan Alvia Cevallos, lawyer for the Fiorella and the fishermen's families. “The two survivors say they saw the drone and a patrol car. We are sure that they (the United States) took them themselves, as they have done with the other boats. I want my son to come back,” said María Cueva, a relative of fishermen from the Fiorella boat. After the rescue of 16 fishermen from Manabí in El Salvador, 27 Ecuadorian crew members have still been missing since 2025. On April 9, 2026, when asked about the allegations of bombings, Ecuador's Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, responded: “I couldn't tell you for sure what activities the fishermen were carrying out, the situations they are in… Behind that, the competent authorities, in matters of security, will be able to say what kind of activities they were carrying out.” Gabriela Sommerfeld, Foreign Minister of Ecuador. On March 18, 2026, one day after the fire was reported on the Negra Francisca Duarte II and amid speculation that the vessel had been attacked with drones, Diego Criollo, Regional Director of Aquatic Spaces for Manabí and Santa Elena, stated: “People know the risks they are taking; everyone who takes their crew out to fish, I understand, is going out to fish; if they go out to do other things, they must face the consequences,” he said. “They are not drug traffickers.” The sector has rejected the allegations that the fishermen were involved in illicit activities. “They suffered violence on the high seas despite having nothing to do with illegal activities. They weren't armed; they were returning from fishing and were attacked by a foreign nation,” asserted Jorge Chiriboga, lawyer for the vessel Negra Francisca Duarte II and its crew. “They are just fishermen, not drug traffickers, thieves, or murderers, so why were they taken?” said María Mero, a relative of the fishermen from the Fiorella. Boats sunk in Santa Elena | Fishermen from Chanduy plead for help due to the devastating winter. Mariana Cueva, also a relative of the Fiorella crew, added: “They went fishing; they are not criminals, they are fishermen.” “We want to make it clear to the public that we went fishing; we didn't do anything wrong,” stated Cristhian Mendoza, owner of the ‘Don Maca’ boat. In fact, authorities in the United States and Ecuador have been conducting constant surveillance and intercepting vessels that have departed with drugs, especially from the coast of Manabí. So far in 2026, nearly 12 tons of cocaine have been seized on maritime routes. Furthermore, the North American country's operations in international waters, especially in the Pacific, began at the end of 2025. They seek to clarify the cases. Lawyer Chiriboga stated that they will file a complaint so that an investigation can be initiated to determine the circumstances of the case and which foreign vessel boarded the fishermen. “This is an act of terror against Ecuadorian fishermen in the exclusive economic zone of the Ecuadorian State; therefore, it is Ecuador, the State, the Government that must safeguard the interests of Ecuadorian citizens,” said Chiriboga. Doubts and despair among the families of 16 fishermen from Manta who disappeared at sea after boat explosions. Faced with the lack of answers, lawyer Juan Alvia, representing the Fiorella boat and the fishermen's families, announced that he will go to the National Assembly in Quito. In this regard, the assembly members of the Citizen Revolution for Manabí requested information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense about what happened with the ships ‘Don Maca’, the Negra Francisca Duarte II and Fiorella. Cristian Mendoza, owner of the boat ‘Don Maca’, announced that lawyers are already studying the case and that “they are losing around USD 400,000 and (the boat) was not insured.” Fear in fishing coves These cases, added to extortion and pirate attacks, have caused the fishing sector to hesitate before going out to fish. Eduardo Moreira, owner of the Fiorella, says it was his only vessel and his livelihood: "Now we're left stranded, and like me, some families are left in the same situation. Everything is lost." Moreira added that they are worried "because it's not just pirates intercepting them anymore, now it's foreign ships too." "People are already afraid to go fishing," said María Mero, a relative of fishermen missing from the Fiorella. The fishermen indicated that, despite their fear, they must go out to fish because it's the only thing they've done their whole lives. “Now the fishermen are afraid to go out to fish; this will also hinder the city's economy and make it more difficult to hire people to go to sea, because families are afraid their loved ones won't return,” concluded the lawyer for the Fiorella ship. This is what is known about the disappearances and discoveries: 1. Fiorella Ship: It set sail from the Jaramijó dock in Manabí on January 13th, and seven days later communication with the crew was lost. There were 10 people on board, but on January 22nd, two managed to return to land. They recounted that they had drifted away during fishing operations and saw smoke coming from the Fiorella ship, so they looked for another vessel to return. A report of the involuntary disappearance of eight fishermen has been filed with the Manta Prosecutor's Office. The Fiorella, a fishing vessel, disappeared on January 20, 2026, with eight fishermen on board off the coast of Jaramijó, in Manabí. Communications from the Fiorella, which set sail with four fiberglass boats in tow, were lost 260 miles from Manta. This 35-ton gross registered (GRT) vessel was engaged in longline fishing. The Negra Francisca Duarte II sailed from the port of Manta, in Manabí, on March 2, 2026, and caught fire on March 17, approximately 385 miles from Manta (Manabí) and 235 miles from San Cristóbal (Galápagos). After eight days of the blaze, the crew was located in El Salvador on March 23, 2026. Although the Salvadoran Navy claimed they were found as "shipwrecked," the ship's captain asserted they were never in that situation. The Negra Francisca Duarte II set sail with six trawlers and 16 fishermen. All 16 fishermen from Manabí have returned to El Salvador after being granted emergency safe passage. The fishermen were rescued after the Negra Francisca Duarte II, the boat they were sailing on, caught fire. They were adrift for eight days. Courtesy3. The vessel ‘Don Maca’ set sail on March 17, 2026, from the port of Manta, in Manabí, with 20 fishermen. On March 26, about 800 miles north of the port city, the satellite tracking system signal and communication were lost. The vessel sailed with six trawlers, and the crew's location was confirmed in El Salvador on April 2, 2026. Like those from the Negra Francisca Duarte II, the fishermen have now arrived in Manabí. The 18 fishermen from Manabí aboard the vessel 'Don Maca', who were rescued in international waters, arrived in Manta on April 7, 2026. Ariel Ochoa / API

En las caletas pesqueras de Manabí crece el temor ante supuestas interceptaciones y bombardeos de barcos en altamar por parte de fuerzas militares de Estados Unidos. Tripulantes de embarcaciones aseguran haber sido víctimas de ese tipo de ataques. En la provincia existen al menos 130 barcos o buques nodriza, es decir, los que llevan lanchas de arrastre y que salen a faenas de hasta 30 días. A ese tipo de pesca le llaman palangre mayor o pesca oceánica. Estas naves no deben pasar las 200 millas de la Zona Económica Exclusiva de Galápagos, aunque los pescadores reconocen que sí lo hacen.Pescadores del barco 'Don Maca' que llegaron a Manta dicen que fueron "rodeados por drones" y detenidos por un barco de Estados UnidosSegún información de la Capitanía de Manta, los operativos dependen de la ubicación de los barcos, ya sea de búsqueda o controles. En el oeste, el responsable es Estados Unidos, hacia el norte Colombia y al sur Perú.Los testimonios de supuestos ataques salieron a la luz luego de que los pescadores de los barcos la Negra Francisca Duarte II y Don Maca fueran localizados en El Salvador y, a su retorno a la ciudad de Manta, las dos tripulaciones coincidieron en que fueron "rodeadas por drones" y detenidas por barcos de Estados Unidos.“Estábamos pescando y el día que comenzamos a recoger, tipo 16:00, escuchamos el primer bombazo; yo estaba enhielando y vi un dron que hizo explosión. Luego nos fuimos a la proa y nos estaba rodeando otro dron; cogimos la lancha y nos fuimos a un barco de los gringos. Ellos nos esposaron y nos pusieron capuchas”.Jonathan Villafuerte, pescador del barco ‘Don Maca’."Nosotros veníamos de retorno de la pesca; no estábamos armados. De repente vimos un dron que se acercó y explotó en la caseta. Luego miro para la parte de atrás; la candela ya estaba avanzada… En dos lanchas nos acercamos a un barco gringo y ellos nos esposaron y fuimos tratados como prisioneros. Teníamos miedo de que nos iban a matar”, narró Hernán Flores, capitán del Negra Francisca Duarte II.A estos testimonios se suma lo dicho por familiares y el dueño del barco Fiorella, que está desaparecido con ocho pescadores de Jaramijó y Manta desde el 20 de enero de 2026. Familiares de la tripulación del barco Fiorella, que desapareció con ocho pescadores.Primicias“Dos tripulantes regresaron (en una lancha) porque estaban haciendo pesca por su lado, pero previo a la desaparición de la embarcación (madre) vieron un dron que los estuvo rodeando, pero siguieron su pesca; después de eso divisaron al norte humo”, sostuvo Juan Alvia Cevallos, abogado del barco Fiorella y de los familiares de los pescadores. “Los dos sobrevivientes dicen que vieron el dron y a una patrulla. Nosotras estamos seguras de que ellos mismos (Estados Unidos) se los llevaron, como han hecho con los otros barcos. Yo quiero que mi hijo regrese”, dijo María Cueva, familiar de pescadores del barco Fiorella.Tras rescate de 16 pescadores de Manabí en El Salvador, aún hay 27 tripulantes ecuatorianos desaparecidos desde 2025El 9 de abril de 2026, la canciller de Ecuador, Gabriela Sommerfeld, al ser consultada por las denuncias de los supuestos bombardeos, respondió: “No le podría decir a ciencia cierta las actividades que estaban realizando los pescadores, las situaciones en las que se encuentran… Detrás de eso, las autoridades competentes, ya en materia de seguridad, sabrán decir qué tipo de actividades estaban realizando”.Gabriela Sommerfeld, canciller de Ecuador. El pasado 18 de marzo de 2026, un día después del reporte de incendio del Negra Francisca Duarte II y cuando se especulaba que el barco había sido atacado con drones, Diego Criollo, director Regional de Espacios Acuáticos de Manabí y Santa Elena señaló: “La gente sabe a qué se arriesga; cada uno de los que lleva su tripulación y sale a faenas de pesca, entiendo que sale a faenas de pesca; si salen a hacer otras cosas, deben atenerse a las consecuencias”, dijo. “No son unos narcotraficantes”El sector ha rechazado las presunciones de que los pescadores participaban en actividades ilícitas. “Ellos han tenido que sufrir la violencia en altamar no teniendo nada que ver en asuntos ilegales, no están armados, venían de retorno de la pesca y fueron atacados por una nación extranjera”, aseguró Jorge Chiriboga, abogado de la embarcación la Negra Francisca Duarte II y su tripulación.“Ellos solo son unos pescadores, no narcotraficantes, ni ladrones, ni asesinos para que se los hayan llevado”, dijo María Mero, familiar de los pescadores del barco Fiorella.Embarcaciones hundidas en Santa Elena | Pescadores de Chanduy claman ayuda por el devastador inviernoA esto se suma Mariana Cueva, familiar también de la tripulación del Fiorella: “Ellos se fueron a pescar, no son ningunos delincuentes, ellos son pescadores”.“Le dejamos claro a la ciudadanía que nosotros fuimos a pesca, no fuimos a hacer nada indebido”, afirmó Cristhian Mendoza, dueño del barco ‘Don Maca’.De hecho, autoridades de Estados Unidos y Ecuador vienen realizando constante vigilancia e interceptación de embarcaciones que han salido con droga, sobre todo desde las costas de Manabí.  En lo que va de 2026, se han incautado cerca de 12 toneladas de cocaína en la vía marítima. Además, las operaciones del país norteamericano en aguas internacionales, sobre todo en el Pacífico, iniciaron a finales de 2025.Buscan esclarecer los casosEl abogado Chiriboga sostuvo que realizarán una denuncia para que se inicie una investigación que determine las circunstancias del caso y qué embarcación extranjera abordó a los pescadores.“Esto es un acto de terror contra pescadores ecuatorianos en la zona exclusiva económica del Estado ecuatoriano; por lo tanto, es el Ecuador, el Estado, el Gobierno el que tiene que salvaguardar los intereses de los ciudadanos ecuatorianos”, dijo Chiriboga.Dudas y desesperación en familiares de 16 pescadores de Manta desaparecidos en altamar tras explosión de lanchasAnte la falta de respuestas, el abogado Juan Alvia, del barco Fiorella y de los familiares de los pescadores, anunció que acudirá hasta la Asamblea Nacional en Quito.En este sentido, los asambleístas de la Revolución Ciudadana por Manabí hicieron un pedido de información a la Cancillería y al Ministerio de Defensa Nacional sobre lo sucedido con los barcos ‘Don Maca’, la Negra Francisca Duarte II y Fiorella.Cristian Mendoza, dueño del barco ‘Don Maca', anunció que los abogados ya están estudiando el caso y que “pierden alrededor de unos USD 400.000 y (el barco) no tenía seguro”.Temor en caletas pesqueras  Estos casos, sumados a las extorsiones y ataques de piratas, han provocado que el sector pesquero dude antes de salir a faenas de pesca. Eduardo Moreira, armador del barco Fiorella, asegura que era la única embarcación que tenía y era su sustento económico: "Ahora nos quedamos así cruzados y así como yo se quedan algunas familias. Se perdió todo”.Eduardo Moreira, armador del barco Fiorella.Moreira agregó que están preocupados “porque ya no solo son los piratas que los interceptan, ahora también los barcos extranjeros”.“La gente ya tiene miedo de ir a pescar”, dijo María Mero, familiar de pescadores desaparecidos del barco Fiorella.Los pescadores indicaron que, a pesar del temor, deben salir a faenas de pesca porque es lo único que han hecho toda su vida. “Ahora los pescadores tienen miedo de salir a pescar; eso va a dificultar también la economía de la ciudad y va a ser más difícil contratar gente que vaya al mar, porque hay ese miedo en los familiares de que los suyos no regresen”, finalizó el abogado del barco Fiorella.Esto se sabe de las desapariciones y hallazgos 1Barco FiorellaZarpó desde el muelle de Jaramijó, en Manabí, el 13 de enero y siete días después se perdió la comunicación con la tripulación. En la embarcación iban 10 personas, pero el 22 de enero dos lograron regresar a tierra.Ellos contaron que se habían alejado durante faenas de pesca y vieron humo en el barco Fiorella, por lo que buscaron otra embarcación para volver.  En la Fiscalía de Manta está ingresada una denuncia por desaparición involuntaria de los ocho pescadores.Barco Fiorella desaparecido el 20 de enero de 2026 con ocho pescadores a bordo en las costas de Jaramijó, en Manabí.cortesíaLa comunicación de Fiorella, que zarpó con cuatro fibras de vidrio remolcadas, se perdió a 260 millas de Manta. Esta embarcación de 35 toneladas de registro bruto (TRB) se dedicaba a la pesca long line o línea larga.2Barco la Negra Francisca Duarte IIZarpó del puerto de Manta, en Manabí, el 2 de marzo de 2026 y se incendió el 17 del mismo mes a unas 385 millas de Manta (Manabí) y a 235 millas de San Cristóbal (Galápagos).Tras ocho días del flagelo, la tripulación fue localizada en El Salvador, el 23 de marzo de 2026. A pesar de que la Marina del país centroamericano aseguró que fueron hallados en calidad de “náufragos”, el capitán del barco aseguró que nunca estuvieron en esa situación.La Negra Francisca Duarte II zarpó con seis lanchas de arrastre y 16 pescadores. Todos ya regresaron a Manabí luego de que se les otorgara un salvoconducto de emergencia.Los 16 pescadores manabitas rescatados en El Salvador tras incendio de barco la Negra Francisca Duarte II, en el que navegaban. Estuvieron ocho días a la deriva.Cortesía3Barco ‘Don Maca’Zarpó el 17 de marzo de 2026 desde el puerto de Manta, en Manabí, con 20 pescadores y el 26 de marzo, a unas 800 millas al norte de la ciudad portuaria, se perdió la señal del sistema de rastreo satelital y la comunicación.La embarcación zarpó con seis lanchas de arrastre y la localización de la tripulación se confirmó en El Salvador el 2 de abril de 2026. De igual forma que los de la Negra Francisca Duarte II, los pescadores ya arribaron a Manabí.Los 18 pescadores manabitas de la embarcación 'Don Maca', quienes fueron rescatados en aguas internacionales, llegaron a Manta este 7 de abril de 2026.Ariel Ochoa / API

By 4pm, the light was softening over the Pacific, and the crew of the Don Maca were finishing a long day hauling in lines of swordfish and albacore. Down in the hold, the mood had settled into the familiar rhythm of a fishing day drawing to a close.“We were just working, waiting for the last trawler to return,” Jhonny Sebastián Palacios, one of the fishers, told the Guardian. “Everything was perfectly fine.”From nowhere, an explosion ripped through the boat. “There was a sudden crash – boom! It came from a drone,” he said.The blast tore through the vessel, shattering glass, and injuring several crew members. “I ran upstairs and saw the boat destroyed … The whole ship was stripped bare,” he said.A group of Ecuadorian fishers have described how they were attacked in a double drone strike and then detained at gunpoint by soldiers on a US-flagged patrol vessel, in a rare first-hand account by victims of Donald Trump’s militarized campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats off South America.At least 178 people have been killed in US military airstrikes in the Caribbean and Pacific since the offensive began in September, according to a tally by the Washington Office on Latin America (Wola).The US has provided no evidence that any of the vessels were involved in drug trafficking, and legal experts and rights groups say the attacks amount to extrajudicial killings as they apparently target civilians who do not pose any immediate threat. The White House insists the killings are lawful.The Don Maca, a 35-ton fishing vessel which worked with six smaller boats, was approximately 200 miles north-west of the Galápagos Islands, when it disappeared on 26 March. About a week earlier, it had departed from Manta, a port city in south-western Ecuador that has become a focal point in the country’s escalating “war on drugs”.Its 20 crewmen, all from nearby communities including San Mateo, Santa Marianita and Jaramijó, insist they were fishing when they were attacked.Jhonny Sebastián Palacios. Photograph: suppliedEarlier that day they had seen a military vessel flying US colours, but thought nothing of it. “They did not signal to us, so we just carried on fishing,” said Palacios.The first drone strike hit the bow of the boat, and the second hit the antenna, knocking out all communications, he said.Debris from the explosion raked through the crew. One of the fishers, Erick Fabricio Coello Saltos, 27, said his hearing and his vision were both damaged in the blast. “When I heard an explosion, my eardrums ruptured terribly ... I was covered in blood from the shrapnel,” he told Radio Contacto.The fishers claim drones continued to circle overhead after the blasts, leaving them fearing another strike. Mobile phone footage of the aftermath of the attack shows the terrified crew huddled at the stern of the ship, with an alarm sounding as one of them waves a white shirt. One man appears to be wiping blood from his nose.Shortly afterwards, the crew say they were approached by a US patrol boat, and were ordered to board.Palacios says that when onboard the patrol vessel, the crew’s phones were confiscated and most photos and videos of the attacks wiped.Once the men were on the patrol boat, the US personnel boarded the fishing boat and stole the crew’s food and the beer, Palacios said.When Palacios looked back at the Don Maca, it was already in flames. “We saw the ship burn,” he said.The crew of the patrol boat spoke English to each other, and used a translator to address the Ecuadorians. “From the moment we arrived on the US patrol boat, they were pointing guns at us, shouting, ‘Get in, get in,’” said Palacios, 54. “They handcuffed us, put hoods over our heads and pushed us around. We were terrified they were going to kill us.”According to the crew’s account, they were held for several hours by the US vessel before being transferred to a Salvadorian patrol boat and, after several more days at sea, eventually to El Salvador, where they were taken to a military base and questioned. Later they were handed over to immigration authorities and taken to a United Nations shelter.Back home, their families conducted a desperate search, frustrated by the silence and lack of official information surrounding their disappearance. The fishers were eventually returned to Ecuador, where they were released without charge.“Thank God we’re alive! What they did to us was very cruel,” said Palacios, who alleged that the US personnel never attempted to explain or justify the attack.“They knew we were fishermen. Even the Salvadorian authorities told us things had been handled very badly.”The Pentagon and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. US Southern Command said it had “no information to provide regarding any US government personnel involvement in any of the incidents” laid out.A lawyer representing the crew says their account pointed to serious violations of international law.“A US vessel intercepted them and forced them aboard. Once they were detained, their fishing boat was blown up,” said Fernando Bastias Robayo, a lawyer with the Human Rights Council (CDH). “They were arbitrarily hooded and later abandoned on the Salvadorian coast. Any apprehension followed by incommunicado detention constitutes an enforced disappearance.“It was a form of psychological torture, not knowing what’s really going to happen to your life and having your face covered,” he adds.Bastias Robayo said there had been no official response from either Ecuadorian or US authorities.The Ecuadorian fishing boat Don Maca, which was fired upon by the US military. Photograph: El UniversoThe claims come amid an intensifying multinational crackdown on drug-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific.“Since early September we’ve counted 49 attacks,” said Adam Isacson, director for defence oversight at Wola. “The number of boats is higher, because some incidents involve multiple vessels, and our tally of the dead stands at 178. There were five attacks between 11 and 15 April alone.”Trump has described the situation as an “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels, arguing that such operations are needed to curb the flow of drugs into the United States. The US has insisted its operations are aimed at suspected traffickers moving along established smuggling routes.However, the administration has released limited evidence to support its claims that those killed were “narcoterrorists”, prompting heated debate over the legality of the operations.Isacson said that while the US argues it needs a stronger deterrent, “in practice [that] means violating all manner of law and killing people on mere suspicion”.“The response is always, always, always that intelligence points to narcotrafficking. They don’t offer anything else. They never identify the drug, almost never identify the armed group they suspect them to be working with, and there is never any evidence of drugs being recovered in the water,” Isacson said.Palacios said the experience had left him questioning the very premise of the war on drugs. “All the presidents claim they’re fighting drug trafficking and organised crime. But they’ve never actually done anything. They’re just trying to make it look like they are – and instead are mistreating innocent people like us fishermen,” he said.Bastias Robayo says lawyers are also investigating the disappearance of another Ecuadorian fishing vessel, the Fiorella, which has been missing for three months with eight people onboard. A complaint has been filed with the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances.Isacson said that unlike in other attacks, the crew of the Don Maca did not appear to have been the victims of a shoot-to-kill incident, but said the attack should “absolutely be investigated”.“If there were no drugs aboard those boats, it’s a hugely embarrassing ‘false positive’ for US intelligence at a time when that intelligence is being used to kill people, no questions asked,” he said.Palacios rejected any suggestion the crew were involved in drug trafficking, arguing that if there had been any evidence to support that claim, they would have been arrested and charged. “If we had been carrying something illegal, we wouldn’t be here,” he said. “We’d be in the United States, in jail.”For the crew of the Don Maca, the experience has left lasting trauma.“I get scared in the middle of the night. I can’t sleep well. My ears still hurt,” Palacios said. “I think that’s it for me. I’m done with fishing. Going back out there is impossible. I thought they were going to kill us.”Other crew members have declined to speak publicly, citing fears of reprisal, said Palacios. “They’re afraid someone will kill us for what happened.”

The fishermen from the Don Maca arrived at Manta airport at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 7. Upon arrival, they recounted an incident they described as an attack at sea. “We were bombed with drones,” said Jonathan Villafuerte, one of the crew members. According to his testimony, the vessel was fishing when the attack occurred. The crew maintains that they received no prior warnings or boarding attempts. “There was never any warning, it was just the bombing,” he stated. The timeline following the disappearance of the Don Maca in Manabí: this is what is known about the case. The group described moments of confusion and fear due to the explosions. “We were working when we heard the first explosion and then another,” he recounted. At that time, around 4:00 p.m., several fishermen were on deck. The moment of the bombing. According to their testimony, the attack occurred on March 26. The crew had started work early that morning. However, the situation changed in a matter of minutes. Villafuerte stated that they had observed drones days before the incident. “We had seen drones flying over the area, circling several times,” he explained. At that time, their presence did not raise any alarm. On the day of the attack, however, the reaction was immediate. “When I went up, I saw the drone, and that's when they exploded,” he recalled. Sebastián Palacios, another crew member, confirmed that there were at least two consecutive detonations. “They never boarded the ship. They just fired the cannons,” he said. According to his account, the vessel was not inspected before the attack. Interception and Detention at Sea After the explosions, some of the crew moved in small boats to a nearby vessel. According to the fishermen, it was a foreign ship. “We approached, and that's when they hooded us,” Villafuerte recounted. The testimonies agree that the fishermen were detained and held in custody for several hours. “They tied us up and hooded us,” the man insisted. During that time, they said, they received no explanations. Palacios questioned the subsequent actions: “We thought they were going to inspect the boat, but they didn’t do anything.” Both fishermen stated that, after being detained, they heard more explosions. “They sank the boat and the smaller vessels,” Palacios affirmed. Transfer and Care in El Salvador Hours later, the crew was transferred to another vessel. According to their accounts, around 11:00 p.m. that same day, they were handed over to Salvadoran authorities. “We were already with the Salvadoran Navy there,” Villafuerte noted. The fishermen emphasized that, once in Salvadoran territory, they received medical attention and assistance. “They treated us very well, without delays,” he said. They also mentioned the support of local authorities and efforts from Ecuador to facilitate their return. El Salvador confirms that the 16 rescued shipwreck survivors are the fishermen who disappeared from Manta after a boat fire. Last contacts and disappearance: The Don Maca, accompanied by six boats, had set sail on March 18 from Manta. During the first few days, the operation proceeded normally. The captain maintained constant communication with land. On March 25, the crew reported aircraft flying over the area. A day later, the captain requested equipment to continue fishing, in one of the last recorded contacts. That same March 26, at 5:00 p.m., the satellite system stopped transmitting a signal. From then on, there was no communication until the fishermen's testimony was received after their return. "It was a complicated experience." The crew members describe what happened as a traumatic episode. "It was fear, terror, we didn't know what to do," Villafuerte recounted. Despite what they experienced, some are considering returning to the sea. “Yes, by God’s blessing,” said one of them. Others, however, prefer to distance themselves. “We have to think about how things are,” Palacios pointed out. Both agree on one central point: “There was never any warning.” (I)

Los pescadores del barco Don Maca llegaron este martes, 7 de abril, al aeropuerto de Manta a las 07:00. A su arribo, relataron un episodio que calificaron como un ataque en altamar. “Nos bombardearon con drones”, dijo Jonathan Villafuerte, uno de los tripulantes. Según su testimonio, la embarcación realizaba faenas de pesca cuando ocurrió el ataque.La tripulación asegura que no recibió advertencias previas ni intentos de abordaje. “Nunca hubo advertencia, fueron directamente los bombazos”, afirmó.La cronología tras la desaparición del barco Don Maca en Manabí: esto es lo que se sabe sobre el casoEl grupo describió momentos de confusión y miedo por las explosiones. “Estábamos trabajando cuando escuchamos el primer bombazo y luego otro”, relató. A esa hora, cerca de las 16:00, varios pescadores se encontraban en cubierta.El momento del bombardeoDe acuerdo con su testimonio, el ataque ocurrió el pasado 26 de marzo. La tripulación había iniciado labores desde temprano. Sin embargo, la situación cambió en cuestión de minutos.Villafuerte aseguró que observaron drones días antes del incidente. “Habíamos visto drones sobrevolando la zona, dando vueltas varias veces”, explicó. Esa presencia, en ese momento, no generó alarma.El día del ataque, en cambio, la reacción fue inmediata. “Cuando subí, vi el dron y ahí fue que explotaron”, recordó. Sebastián Palacios, otro tripulante, confirmó que fueron al menos dos detonaciones consecutivas.“Ellos nunca abordaron el barco. Solo lanzaron los cañonazos”, expresó. Según su relato, la embarcación no fue inspeccionada antes del ataque.Intercepción y retención en altamarTras las explosiones, parte de la tripulación se movilizó en lanchas a una embarcación cercana. Según los pescadores, se trataba de un barco extranjero. “Nos acercamos y ahí nos encapucharon”, relató Villafuerte.Los testimonios coinciden en que los pescadores fueron retenidos y permanecieron bajo custodia varias horas. “Nos ataron y nos encapucharon”, insistió el hombre. Durante ese tiempo, aseguraron, no recibieron explicaciones.Palacios cuestionó la actuación posterior: “Pensamos que iban a revisar el barco, pero no hicieron nada”.Ambos pescadores manifestaron que, luego de la retención, escucharon nuevas detonaciones. “Hundieron el barco y las lanchas”, afirmó Palacios.Traslado y atención en El SalvadorHoras después, la tripulación fue trasladada a otra embarcación. Según sus relatos, cerca de las 23:00 del mismo día los entregaron a autoridades de El Salvador.“Ahí ya estábamos con la Marina de El Salvador”, apuntó Villafuerte. Los pescadores destacaron que, una vez en territorio salvadoreño, recibieron atención médica y asistencia.“Nos atendieron muy bien, sin demoras”, señaló. También mencionaron el apoyo de autoridades locales y gestiones desde Ecuador para facilitar su retorno.El Salvador confirma que los 16 náufragos rescatados son los pescadores desaparecidos de Manta tras incendio de barcoÚltimos contactos y desapariciónEl Don Maca, acompañado por seis lanchas, había zarpado el pasado 18 de marzo desde Manta. Durante los primeros días, la operación transcurrió con normalidad. El capitán mantenía comunicación constante con tierra.El anterior 25 de marzo, la tripulación reportó el sobrevuelo de aeronaves en la zona. Un día después, el capitán solicitó una herramienta para continuar la faena, en uno de los últimos contactos registrados.Ese mismo 26 de marzo, a las 17:00, el sistema satelital dejó de emitir señal. Desde entonces, no hubo comunicación hasta que se conoció el testimonio de los pescadores tras su retorno.“Fue una experiencia complicada”Los tripulantes describen lo ocurrido como un episodio traumático. “Fue miedo, terror, no sabíamos qué hacer”, relató Villafuerte.Pese a lo vivido, algunos consideran volver al mar. “Sí, por la bendición de Dios”, dijo uno de ellos. Otros, en cambio, prefieren tomar distancia. “Hay que pensar en cómo están las cosas”, puntualizó Palacios.Ambos coinciden en un punto central: “Nunca hubo aviso”. (I)

Erick Coello Asks for Help After Losing 90% of His Vision in Drone Attack on Ecuadorian Fishing Boat In addition to the loss of his vision, Erick Coello also suffered damage to his eardrums from the explosions caused by drones, allegedly from the United States, targeting the vessel 'Don Maca'. Erick Fabricio Coello Saltos, 27, from Manta, one of the 20 crew members of the 'Don Maca', is asking for help for surgery from his home in Manta, Manabí, on April 11. - Photo: Primicias Author: Primicias Newsroom Updated: April 11, 2026 - 2:21 PM Like Erick Fabricio Coello Saltos, 27, from Manta, is one of the 20 crew members of the 'Don Maca' that was located in El Salvador. On the morning of April 11, 2026, he shared his story and asked for help because he had lost 90% of his vision and also suffered damage to his eardrums: his left eardrum was perforated, and his right one was lost. Fishermen from the boat 'Don Maca' who arrived in Manta say they were "surrounded by drones" and detained by a U.S. vessel. Erick, like the other fishermen on the boat, maintains that they were "surrounded by drones" and detained by a U.S. vessel. "What we went through was very hard. I'm left with that trauma. Sometimes I get scared at night; it comes back to me. I'm leaving this life of fishing for good. I'll never fish again," said Erick Coello. X You choose how you get your news Add PRIMICIAS as a preferred source Since 2025, Erick, the second of six siblings and father of a 4-year-old with autism, had been fishing. On March 17, 2026, when the ship 'Don Maca' set sail from the Port of Manta (Manabí), with six trawlers, it was its third voyage. "I was the most affected person on the ship, because it all happened when I was hanging my clothes up in the cabin and I couldn't get down," Coello recalls. According to his account, once they left Manta, they sailed for several days and hours, and once they reached the fishing spot, around 4:00 p.m., everyone in the boats went their separate ways to begin their work. Later that night, they saw a ship. "It seemed strange to us because it was coming toward us; it looked like a tuna boat. That night there was a heavy downpour," Erick continues. The ship 'Don Maca', bombed by the United States for alleged drug smuggling. Courtesy The explosions The next day, according to him, they returned to the mother ship and he went up to the cabin to change. "Suddenly there was an explosion, followed by another, and I was covered in blood." But two days earlier, they had spotted a drone. "The boat had internet access, so I recorded a video and sent it to my dad, saying, 'Dad, there's a drone following us,'" Erick recalls. And it was on March 26, 2026, that the satellite and communication signal was lost. The crew consisted of fishermen from San Mateo, Santa Marianita, and Jaramijó. Finally, after the briefings, according to Erick, they reached the bow, and a "comrade took off his (white) shirt and started signaling. It was very scary; we feared the worst." Then, in a small boat, "the one I was in, we went toward them (the boat), and they asked us how many of us there were, how many were injured, and they told us to go to their boat and bring us all over. That's what we did." Once everyone was there, "I went first because I was wounded, and they handcuffed and hooded me. They did the same to everyone. They had rifles. They took us to some kind of containers; the boat was shaped like a tuna fishing vessel. They held us for five hours," he recalls. And after that time, they were allegedly handed over to El Salvador. "The Americans told them they had found us in the water, adrift, shipwrecked. But that wasn't the case," Erick added. New alert in Manabí: at least 20 fishermen from the boat 'Don Maca' lose communication with the port. Erick also recounts, "We sailed for eight days to El Salvador. There, they took us to a checkpoint, then they gave us medical evaluations, and finally we went to a shelter." On April 6, 2026, Erick and another companion arrived at the Eloy Alfaro Airport in Manta, Manabí. The other 18 fishermen arrived a day later. To get Erick back, his family held raffles, bingo games, and other fundraising activities. The ticket cost him USD 400. Erick's Health Once in Manta, Erick underwent the necessary medical evaluations and says he needs a psychologist because he was left "with that trauma and it scares me." He also needs help with surgery on his eye, which was damaged in the explosion and costs USD 7,000. "I've lost 90% of my vision." In addition, he suffered damage to his eardrums: "My left one is perforated, and I don't have one on my right. That requires USD 4,500." Even his almost daily doctor visits cost him USD 60, but his financial situation is making that difficult. "We are low-income and need help. Every helping hand receives," said Erick, who lives in the 4 de Noviembre neighborhood of Manta, Manabí. Any financial assistance can be sent to Banco Pichincha, to transactional savings account number 2209135515, in the name of Mayerly Romina Vera. Currently, bingo games and other fundraising activities are being held in different parts of Manta.

Erick Coello pide ayuda tras perder el 90% de la visión por el ataque con drones a barco pesquero ecuatoriano Además de la pérdida de visión, Erick Coello también sufrió daños en los tímpanos a causa de las explosiones generadas por drones presuntamente de Estados Unidos contra el barco 'Don Maca'. El mantense Erick Fabricio Coello Saltos, de 27 años, uno de los 20 tripulantes del barco 'Don Maca', este 11 de abril desde su casa en Manta, Manabí, pide ayuda para hacerse cirugías.- FotoPrimicias Autor: Redacción Primicias Actualizada: 11 Abr 2026 - 14:21 Compartir El mantense Erick Fabricio Coello Saltos, de 27 años, es uno de los 20 tripulantes del barco 'Don Maca' que fue localizado en El Salvador. La mañana de este 11 de abril de 2026, contó su versión y pidió ayuda porque perdió el 90% de su visión y también sufrió daños en los tímpanos: el izquierdo perforado y el derecho está perdido. Pescadores del barco 'Don Maca' que llegaron a Manta dicen que fueron "rodeados por drones" y detenidos por un barco de Estados Unidos Erick, al igual que los otros pescadores de la embarcación, asegura que fueron "rodeados por drones" y detenidos por un barco de Estados Unidos. "Fue muy duro lo que vivimos, me quedé con ese trauma, a veces me asusto por la noche, se me viene eso a la mente. Esta vida de pescador la dejo definitivamente. Ya no volvería a pescar", dijo Erick Coello. X Tú eliges cómo te informas Agrega a PRIMICIAS como fuente preferida Desde 2025, Erick, el segundo de seis hermanos y padre de un menor de 4 años con autismo, se dedicaba a la pesca. El 17 de marzo de 2026 cuando el barco 'Don Maca' zarpó desde el Puerto de Manta (Manabí), con seis lanchas de arrastre, fue su tercer viaje. "Fui la persona más afectada del barco, porque todo sucedió cuando estaba tendiendo mi ropa arriba en la caseta y no pude bajar", recuerda Coello. Según relata, una vez que zarparon de Manta navegaron varios días horas y una vez que estuvieron en el punto de pesca, a eso de las 16:00, cada quien en las lanchas se "abrieron" para comenzar sus labores. Luego, en la noche, vieron un barco "se nos hacía raro porque venía hacia nosotros, parecía un atunero, esa noche hubo un fuerte aguacero", continúa contado Erick. El barco 'Don Maca', bombardeado por Estados Unidos por supuesto contrabando de droga.Cortesía Las explosiones Al siguiente día, según él regresaron al barco madre y subió a cambiarse a la caseta. "Cuando de repente hubo una explosión y seguida otra, quedé con sangre todo. ". Pero para aquello, dos días antes habían visualizado un dron. "Justo el barco llevaba Internet, yo grabé y le envié un video a mi papá y le dije papá, un dron anda que nos persigue", recuerda Erick. Y fue el 26 de marzo de 2026 que la señal satelital y de comunicación se perdió. La tripulación estaba conformada por pescadores de San Mateo, Santa Marianita y Jaramijó. Finalmente tras las exposiciones, según Erick, llegaron a la proa y un "compañero se sacó la camisa (blanca) y comenzó a hacer señales. Fue muy duro, pensamos lo peor". Paso seguido en una lancha, "en la que yo andaba fuimos hacia ellos (barco) y nos preguntaron cuántos son, cuántos heridos hay y nos dicen vayan a su embarcación y tráigannos a todos. Eso hicimos". Una vez que estuvieron todos, "subí yo primero que estaba herido y me esposaron y me encapucharon. Así a todos. Tenían fusiles. Nos llevaron como a unos contenedores, ese barco tenía forma de atunero. Ellos nos tuvieron cinco horas", recuerda él. Y tras ese tiempo los habrían entregado a El Salvador, "los gringos les dijeron que nos habían encontrado en el agua, tirados, a la deriva, náufragos. Pero no fue así", agregó Erick. Nueva alerta en Manabí: al menos 20 pescadores del barco 'Don Maca' pierden comunicación con el puerto Además, Erick cuenta "Navegamos por ocho días a El Salvador, allí nos llevaron a un retén, luego nos hicieron las valoraciones médicas y finalmente fuimos a un centro de acogida". El 6 de abril de 2026, Erick y otro compañero arribaron al aeropuerto Eloy Alfaro de Manta, en Manabí. Los otros 18 pescadores llegaron un día después. Para que Erick pudiera regresar dice que sus familiares hicieron rifas, bingos y otras actividades. El pasaje le costó USD 400. La salud de Erick Una vez en Manta, Erick se hizo realizar las respectivas valoraciones médicas y asegura que necesita un psicólogo, porque se quedó "con ese trauma y me asusto". Él también necesita ayuda para una cirugía en su ojo que salió afectado producto de la explosión que cuesta USD 7 000. "He perdido el 90% de la visión". Además, sufrió daños en los tímpanos: "el izquierdo lo tengo perforado y el derecho no tengo, para eso se necesita USD 4.500". Incluso en las consultas, casi diarias, gasta USD 60, pero la situación económica está complicando aquello. "Somos de bajo recursos, necesitamos ayuda. Manos que dan manos que reciben", dijo Erick quien vive en el barrio 4 de Noviembre de Manta, en Manabí y cualquier ayuda económica la pueden hacer al banco de Pichincha, a la cuenta de ahorro transaccional: 2209135515, a nombre de Mayerly Romina Vera. Por ahora, en diferentes sectores de Manta se hacen bingos y otras actividades para recoger fondos.

Three months after the disappearance of eight Ecuadorian fishermen at sea, their families denounced the lack of answers from the government on Thursday and demanded that search efforts be intensified. The uncertainty has given way to suspicions that the crew members may have been intercepted by U.S. vessels. The case dates back to January 13, when ten fishermen set sail from the province of Manabí aboard the vessel Fiorella, according to Juan Alvia, the families' lawyer. A week later, on January 20, all contact with the vessel was lost. According to the survivors, two of the crew members separated from the group intending to meet up later, but the rest of the boat never reappeared. Both managed to call for help from other nearby vessels and return to shore, where they reported what had happened. In their statements to the authorities, the fishermen recounted having observed unusual situations before the disappearance. “They told the Port Authority and the Prosecutor's Office that before the disappearance of the Fiorella, there were drones circling and that on that day they saw black smoke on the horizon, but they thought it was a merchant ship,” said Alvia. After hearing these testimonies, the families went to state agencies seeking support. However, they claim that they have received no updates on the investigation. According to the lawyer, the Prosecutor's Office even told them that it “lacked the resources to assist in the maritime search.” Lack of action takes disappearance case to the international level. Due to the lack of concrete actions, the case was taken to the international level. Fernando Bastias, of the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDH), reported that they appealed to the UN Committee against Enforced Disappearances, which urged the Ecuadorian State to act urgently to locate the missing men “immediately.” The organization also warned that this incident occurs in a worrying context, where other fishing vessels “have reportedly been attacked or have disappeared off the coast of Manabí.” Incident increases concern over missing fishermen. Among the background information that is generating concern is an incident on March 26, when the vessel Don Maca was allegedly intercepted at sea by US military personnel, and its crew members were taken to the Salvadoran Navy. This episode has reinforced the suspicions of the families about what happened to the eight fishermen. Amid their anguish, the families continue to raise their voices in demand. “I ask President Daniel Noboa and the President of the United States to please return them to me,” said Lourdes Mero, who has two relatives among the missing. The case comes amid ongoing anti-drug trafficking operations in the Pacific Ocean, where Ecuador and the United States maintain cooperation. In this context, there have been interventions targeting vessels suspected of illicit activities, although reports also persist of attacks by criminal groups who seize fishermen's boats to use in drug trafficking.

A tres meses de la desaparición de ocho pescadores ecuatorianos en altamar, sus familiares denunciaron este jueves la falta de respuestas por parte del Estado y exigieron que se intensifiquen las labores de búsqueda. La incertidumbre ha dado paso a sospechas de que los tripulantes pudieron haber sido interceptados por embarcaciones estadounidenses.El caso se remonta al 13 de enero, cuando diez pescadores zarparon desde la provincia de Manabí a bordo de la embarcación Fiorella, según explicó Juan Alvia, abogado de las familias. Una semana después, el 20 de enero, se perdió todo contacto con la nave.De acuerdo con el relato de los sobrevivientes, dos de los tripulantes se separaron del grupo con la intención de reencontrarse más tarde, pero el resto de la embarcación nunca volvió a aparecer. Ambos lograron pedir auxilio a otras naves cercanas y regresar a la costa, donde dieron aviso de lo ocurrido.En sus declaraciones ante las autoridades, los pescadores relataron haber observado situaciones inusuales antes de la desaparición.“Han dicho ante la Capitanía del Puerto y la Fiscalía que antes de la desaparición del barco Fiorella había drones merodeando y que ese día vieron humo negro en el horizonte, pero que pensaron que era un barco mercante”, dijo Alvia.Tras conocer estos testimonios, los familiares acudieron a organismos del Estado en busca de apoyo. Sin embargo, aseguran que no han recibido avances en la investigación. Según el abogado, la Fiscalía incluso les indicó que “carecía de elementos para ayudar en la búsqueda marítima”.Falta de acción lleva caso de desapariciones al plano internacionaAnte la falta de acciones concretas, el caso fue llevado al plano internacional. Fernando Bastias, del Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CDH), informó que se acudió al Comité contra la Desaparición Forzada de la ONU, el cual instó al Estado ecuatoriano a actuar con urgencia para localizar “de forma inmediata” a los desaparecidos.El organismo también advirtió que este hecho ocurre en un contexto preocupante, donde otras embarcaciones pesqueras “habrían sido atacadas o habrían desaparecido en la costa de Manabí”.Incidente aumenta inquietud por pescadores desaparecidosEntre los antecedentes que generan inquietud figura un incidente del 26 de marzo, cuando la embarcación Don Maca habría sido interceptada en altamar por militares estadounidenses, y sus tripulantes trasladados a la Marina de El Salvador. Este episodio ha reforzado las sospechas de los familiares sobre lo ocurrido con los ocho pescadores.En medio de la angustia, las familias continúan elevando su reclamo. “Le pido al presidente Daniel Noboa, al presidente de Estados Unidos que, por favor, me los devuelvan”, expresó Lourdes Mero, quien tiene a dos de sus familiares entre los desaparecidos.El caso se produce en un escenario marcado por operativos contra el narcotráfico en aguas del Pacífico, donde Ecuador y Estados Unidos mantienen cooperación. En ese contexto, se han registrado intervenciones a embarcaciones bajo sospecha de actividades ilícitas, aunque también persisten denuncias de ataques por parte de grupos criminales que despojan a pescadores de sus naves para utilizarlas en el tráfico de drogas.

By 4pm, the light was softening over the Pacific, and the crew of the Don Maca were finishing a long day hauling in lines of swordfish and albacore. Down in the hold, the mood had settled into the familiar rhythm of a fishing day drawing to a close.“We were just working, waiting for the last trawler to return,” said Jhonny Sebastián Palacios, one of the fishers. “Everything was perfectly fine.”From nowhere, an explosion ripped through the boat. “There was a sudden crash – boom! It came from a drone,” he said.The blast tore through the vessel, shattering glass, and injuring several crew members. “I ran upstairs and saw the boat destroyed … The whole ship was stripped bare,” he said.A group of Ecuadorian fishers have described how they were attacked in a double drone strike and then detained at gunpoint by soldiers on a US-flagged patrol vessel, in a rare first-hand account by victims of Donald Trump’s militarized campaign against alleged drug-trafficking boats off South America.At least 178 people have been killed in US military airstrikes in the Caribbean and Pacific since the offensive began in September, according to a tally by the Washington Office on Latin America (Wola).The US has provided no evidence that any of the vessels were involved in drug trafficking, and legal experts and rights groups say the attacks amount to extrajudicial killings as they apparently target civilians who do not pose any immediate threat. The White House insists the killings are lawful.The Don Maca, a 35-ton fishing vessel that worked with six smaller boats, was about 200 miles (320km) north-west of the Galápagos Islands, when it disappeared on 26 March. About a week earlier, it had departed from Manta, a port city in south-western Ecuador that has become a focal point in the country’s escalating “war on drugs”.Its 20 crewmen, all from nearby communities including San Mateo, Santa Marianita and Jaramijó, insist they were fishing when they were attacked.Jhonny Sebastián Palacios. Photograph: Obtained by the GuardianEarlier that day they had seen a military vessel flying US colours, but thought nothing of it. “They did not signal to us, so we just carried on fishing,” said Palacios.The first drone strike hit the bow of the boat, and the second hit the antenna, knocking out all communications, he said.Debris from the explosion raked through the crew. One of the fishers, Erick Fabricio Coello Saltos, 27, said his hearing and his vision were both damaged in the blast. “When I heard an explosion, my eardrums ruptured terribly ... I was covered in blood from the shrapnel,” he told Radio Contacto.The fishers claim drones continued to circle overhead after the blasts, leaving them fearing another strike. Mobile phone footage of the aftermath of the attack shows the terrified crew huddled at the stern of the ship, with an alarm sounding as one of them waves a white shirt. One man appears to be wiping blood from his nose. A fisherman waves a white t-shirt in an attempt to stop further drone attacksShortly afterwards, the crew say they were approached by a US patrol boat, and were ordered to board.Palacios says that when the crew were onboard the patrol vessel, their phones were confiscated and most photos and videos of the attacks wiped.Once the men were on the patrol boat, the US personnel boarded the fishing boat and stole the crew’s food and the beer, Palacios said.When Palacios looked back at the Don Maca, it was already in flames. “We saw the ship burn,” he said.The crew of the patrol boat spoke English to each other, and used a translator to address the Ecuadorians. “From the moment we arrived on the US patrol boat, they were pointing guns at us, shouting: ‘Get in, get in,’” said Palacios, 54. “They handcuffed us, put hoods over our heads and pushed us around. We were terrified they were going to kill us.”According to the crew’s account, they were held for several hours by the US vessel before being transferred to a Salvadorian patrol boat and, after several more days at sea, eventually to El Salvador, where they were taken to a military base and questioned. Later they were handed over to immigration authorities and taken to a UN shelter.Back home, their families conducted a desperate search, frustrated by the silence and lack of official information surrounding their disappearance. The fishers were eventually returned to Ecuador, where they were released without charge.“Thank God we’re alive! What they did to us was very cruel,” said Palacios, who alleged that the US personnel never attempted to explain or justify the attack.“They knew we were fishermen. Even the Salvadorian authorities told us things had been handled very badly.”The Pentagon and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. US Southern Command said it had “no information to provide regarding any US government personnel involvement in any of the incidents” laid out.A lawyer representing the crew says their account pointed to serious violations of international law.“A US vessel intercepted them and forced them aboard. Once they were detained, their fishing boat was blown up,” said Fernando Bastias Robayo, a lawyer with the Human Rights Council (CDH). “They were arbitrarily hooded and later abandoned on the Salvadorian coast. Any apprehension followed by incommunicado detention constitutes an enforced disappearance.“It was a form of psychological torture, not knowing what’s really going to happen to your life and having your face covered,” he adds.Bastias Robayo said there had been no official response from either Ecuadorian or US authorities.The Ecuadorian fishing boat Don Maca, which was fired upon by the US military. Photograph: El UniversoThe claims come amid an intensifying multinational crackdown on drug-trafficking routes in the eastern Pacific.“Since early September we’ve counted 49 attacks,” said Adam Isacson, director for defence oversight at Wola. “The number of boats is higher, because some incidents involve multiple vessels, and our tally of the dead stands at 178. There were five attacks between 11 and 15 April alone.”Trump has described the situation as an “armed conflict” with Latin American cartels, arguing that such operations are needed to curb the flow of drugs into the United States. The US has insisted its operations are aimed at suspected traffickers moving along established smuggling routes.However, the administration has released limited evidence to support its claims that those killed were “narcoterrorists”, prompting heated debate over the legality of the operations.Isacson said that while the US argues it needs a stronger deterrent, “in practice [that] means violating all manner of law and killing people on mere suspicion”.“The response is always, always, always that intelligence points to narcotrafficking. They don’t offer anything else. They never identify the drug, almost never identify the armed group they suspect them to be working with, and there is never any evidence of drugs being recovered in the water,” Isacson said.Palacios said the experience had left him questioning the very premise of the war on drugs. “All the presidents claim they’re fighting drug trafficking and organised crime. But they’ve never actually done anything. They’re just trying to make it look like they are – and instead are mistreating innocent people like us fishermen,” he said.Bastias Robayo says lawyers are also investigating the disappearance of another Ecuadorian fishing vessel, the Fiorella, which has been missing for three months with eight people onboard. A complaint has been filed with the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances.Isacson said that unlike in other attacks, the crew of the Don Maca did not appear to have been the victims of a shoot-to-kill incident, but said the attack should “absolutely be investigated”.“If there were no drugs aboard those boats, it’s a hugely embarrassing ‘false positive’ for US intelligence at a time when that intelligence is being used to kill people, no questions asked,” he said.Palacios rejected any suggestion the crew were involved in drug trafficking, arguing that if there had been any evidence to support that claim, they would have been arrested and charged. “If we had been carrying something illegal, we wouldn’t be here,” he said. “We’d be in the United States, in jail.”For the crew of the Don Maca, the experience has left lasting trauma.“I get scared in the middle of the night. I can’t sleep well. My ears still hurt,” Palacios said. “I think that’s it for me. I’m done with fishing. Going back out there is impossible. I thought they were going to kill us.”Other crew members have declined to speak publicly, citing fears of reprisal, said Palacios: “They’re afraid someone will kill us for what happened.”

The extraordinary story you’re about to read, by Camila Lourdes Galarza, is a dark look into what it’s like to live and die on the other side of U.S. headlines. As we expand deeper into reporting on South and Central America, particularly with the hiring of our Latin America bureau chief José Luis Granados Ceja, this is the kind of journalism we hope to be bringing you more of. (Granados Ceja just returned from a reporting trip to Cuba; watch him discuss the situation there on Breaking Points.)This expansion has been made possible by a surge in reader support over the past six months or so, and if you want to see more of this, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription or make a one-time or recurring contribution. Reporting like this isn’t cheap, but the world is far poorer if it doesn’t exist. If you do upgrade, please put a note in there that you’d like to see more Latin America reporting. Survivors of an attack on the fishing boat Don Maca, provided to Drop Site News.QUITO, Ecuador—The last time Roxanna Mero heard from her husband Carlos was January 19. Calling from sea on an emergency line, he said an “American aircraft, two drones, and a blue patrol ship” had been circling La Fiorella, the Ecuadorian fishing boat he captained. The presence of an airplane worried him, given that Trump’s extrajudicial airstrikes across the Pacific and Caribbean have killed more than 170 people in 6 months, but a local coast guard had already inspected the vessel, found nothing and cleared them to continue.The next day, the boat went up in smoke. The eight fishermen aboard have not been seen since.Three independent accounts from relatives of the missing crew assert that eyewitnesses, on a nearby raft at the time of the incident, saw La Fiorella engulfed in flames. “They’ve been threatened not to speak to the press. They’re scared for their lives,” said Angelica Lourdes Mero, whose son and spouse are among the disappeared men.Ninety days after La Fiorella vanished, Roxanna told Drop Site News, “No search team has been sent out. In Manta, we live with constant military helicopters circling overhead every hour but none of them have been used to find my husband.” The helicopters are part of ongoing US-Ecuadorian joint operations, despite 60% of Ecuadorians voting to uphold the constitutional ban on foreign military presence in their territories this past November. The ban was originally introduced in 2007, precisely due to the U.S. military sinking fishing boats off the coast of Manta.Under right-wing president Daniel Noboa, Ecuador has become a critical U.S. proxy in the region; described as a “North American colony” by political analyst and former advisor to Ecuador’s Secretary of International Relations Daniel Granja.The military regime, which rules by martial law, has stonewalled all inquiries into the whereabouts of the fishermen. “They slammed the door in our face,” Angelica Mero told Drop Site News.The United Nations Committee on Forced Disappearances, which was already investigating Noboa’s armed forces prior to this incident, has issued a letter demanding answers on La Fiorella. Opposition lawmaker Mónica Palacios echoed those calls, announcing she will bring this case directly to the U.N.Now, 36 survivors of two Pacific attacks fitting a similar profile alleged that they were abducted and tortured by American forces and taken by boat all the way to El Salvador before being returned to Ecuador. Drop Site spoke to multiple survivors and attorneys from both boats.Drop Site reached out to the U.S. Southern Command for comment on all three incidents; they said they had no information to provide and directed questions to Ecuador. Drop Site asked Ecuador’s Port Authority for comment. They hung up after hearing the call was from journalists.On March 23, 16 Ecuadorian fishermen from a second vessel, La Negra Francisca Duarte II, were found by El Salvador’s coast guard, their limbs mangled and backs etched with burns. One man’s foot was spliced open, exposing bone. Another had lesions on the nape of his neck that left him dizzy whenever he moved.The fishermen told Drop Site News they’d been struck by a drone with a yellow cylinder five days earlier, forced to jump overboard to escape the fire caused by the explosion, and subsequently taken captive by forces on a U.S.-flagged blue patrol ship—just like the one Roxanna Mero’s husband, Carlos Valencia Mero, had described before he disappeared. Captain Hernán Flores, one of the 16 survivors, said the word “Spear” was written on the hull of the blue ship. Trump’s counternarcotics military program in the Americas is named Operation Southern Spear.“A lot of us had wounds all over our bodies from the explosion. One young man was bleeding so much he filled the floor of our lifeboat with blood,” said Flores. “The drone had flown through our cabin window, torn my nephew’s foot so bad you could see flesh and bone, and made the boat’s roof cave-in on the back of my neck. A few seconds later, an explosion shook the boat causing a terrible ringing in our ears. Out of exasperation, the guys threw themselves into the water, some without life jackets, even the ones who don’t know how to swim.”As the fishermen made their way toward what they hoped was safety on the nearby blue boat, an aircraft hovered directly overhead. Nearing closer, they spotted blonde-haired men, armed to the teeth, dressed in camouflage uniforms, and yelling “hands-up” in English. Flores said they began to pray, convinced they were going to die.Guns drawn, the men placed hoods over the fishermens’ heads, handcuffed them, and held them on the blue ship’s scorching metal deck for over 24 hours, blistering their skin. The Ecuadorian crew of La Negra Francisca Duarte II were surprised to find themselves detained following the attack. Like Mero’s husband, they had been cleared to proceed by Ecuadorian coast guard personnel just hours earlier at a checkpoint near the Galápagos.The gunmen, issuing instructions through an interpreter, offered no explanation for why they were being apprehended, nor did they bother to inquire what had happened, as a rescue team might, or search their boat for evidence, as a counternarcotics operation would. All but one fisherman were denied medical attention, despite the severity of what they had just endured. Held for days, they were refused food and given only one bottle of water.La Negra Francisca Duarte II burning on March 17, 2026, captured by nephew of Captain Hernan Flores and provided to Drop Site News.The following day, despite being in Ecuadorian waters near the Galapagos Islands, the kidnappers transported the fishermen roughly 900 nautical miles north, turning them over to El Salvador’s coast guard.Drop Site News spoke to 11 associates across El Salvador’s Ministry of Defense, coast guard, and navy, all of whom said they were aware of the incident but were unauthorized to comment. In recent years, El Salvador’s government has drawn scrutiny from human rights advocates over President Nayib Bukele’s embrace of U.S. President Donald Trump’s migration policies, labeling him an accomplice to U.S. human rights violations, with several documented cases of torture in its prisons—facilities the Trump administration has contracted to hold deported migrants. On March 24, El Salvador’s authorities began coordinating the return of the fishermen to Ecuador.“Just like the Americans didn’t do anything to help save us when our boat was bombed, the Ecuadorian government also hasn’t done anything to help us,” Flores told Drop Site. “It was our families who made sure we got home safe.”“El pueblo salva al pueblo,” he said, a popular Spanish saying about solidarity and mutual support between working-class people.Ecuador’s Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, cast doubt on the innocence of the fishermen and defended the extrajudicial assault. “Ecuador and North America are working cooperatively with joint activities. I cannot tell you for sure what activities the fishermen were carrying out or the situations they are in,” Sommerfeld told local media.Throughout her tenure, Sommerfeld has repeatedly come under fire for failing to uphold international law. Most notably, when Ecuador stormed the Mexican embassy to kidnap former Vice President Jorge Glas of left-wing party Revolución Ciudadana, ending diplomatic ties between the two nations for the first time since they were established in 1838. An event that Tamara Lajtman, researcher with the Lawfare Observatory and the Institute for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, said was the foreshadowing for an autocracy rife with abuses, “It revealed a willingness to use state force outside of any legal limits. It’s really not an isolated incident, but rather a symptom of an authoritarian way of exercising power.”Legal counsel for La Negra Francisca, Jorge Chiriboga, frames the airstrike as a similar breach of international law. “This is an invasion of Ecuador’s airspace and maritime because it occurred within Ecuador’s Insular Exclusive Economic Zone,” Chiriboga told Drop Site. Chiriboga, shared GPS photos with Drop Site News taken at the site of the bombing showing La Negra Francisca was operating within permitted limits.“These attacks are no longer just a mistake,” he continued. It is a planned and coordinated abuse against working-class civilian fishermen who are unarmed and they should be condemned by international law. Imagine these bombs would’ve killed all of them, it is an extrajudicial action by a foreign nation, it’s an abuse by the biggest force in the world.”The second report of torture came two weeks later. On April 3rd, 20 more Ecuadorian fishermen aboard the Don Maca were intercepted by El Salvador’s coast guard. Arriving with vision and hearing loss, bruised limbs, and perforated arms, they reported a strikingly similar account of an alleged attack by U.S. soldiers: a bombarded boat, a round of bullets, and no due process.This time, the men charged that they had been held hostage and hooded for eight days.Survivors of the Don Maca attack, provided to Drop Site News.“They treated us like animals,” said Sebastián Palacios of the Don Maca vessel, his thousand-yard stare welling with tears as he embraced his family at the Manta airport upon finally returning to Ecuador weeks later.Several workers of both the Don Maca and La Negra Francisca remain hospitalized; many are receiving psychiatric care, as well.The attorney for the Don Maca crew, Pilar Muñoz, recounted her clients’ testimonies to Drop Site News.“Two small drones and one big drone had been tailing them for 24 hours,” she said. “They informed Don Maca’s owner, Cristian Mendoza, of the sighting, and he assured them not to worry, as the boat and fishermen had all the proper licensing and registration. He told them, ‘There’s no problem since you’re just there to fish.’”“But the next day,” Muñoz continued, “a drone struck their boat, causing an explosion just 15 centimeters from the gas tank. Had it hit any closer, they would’ve all died from the explosion, and there would’ve been no survivors to tell this story.”Immediately, the crew scrambled to raise a white flag, signaling they were unarmed and in distress. Men in uniforms on an adjacent boat—who the survivors of Don Maca also identified as U.S. military—followed with multiple rounds of glass pellet gunfire, leaving crew member Erik Coello with 70% vision loss and his arms riddled with puncture wounds and embedded glass. They eventually ceased and instructed them to approach their boat.The fishermen said the kidnappers were white, spoke English, and accompanied by a translator with an Ecuadorian dialect.A survivor, who asked not to be named due to pending legal action, told Drop Site News that, once detained on the boat, he was fired on again with a pellet gun. The account resembled what Coello had experienced, though by then the men had been hooded and were unable to see what exactly was being done to them.Photos of scarring, perforation, and bruising left on Erik Coello’s body from the drone strike and gunfire. Taken by his attorney upon returning to Ecuador.Just before men in fatigues forced hoods over their heads, the fishermen caught a glimpse of them doubling back to bomb and sink their already damaged boat.“If the boat would’ve actually been carrying drugs, they wouldn’t have drowned the boat because they would’ve needed to use it as proof,” Muñoz pointed out.Ecuador’s interior minister, for example, released video of a different detained vessel around the same time that was found carrying 300 packages of cocaine 180 nautical miles off the coast of Manta. In the video, officials are seen carefully locating, documenting, and preserving the evidence with no signs of a drone strike. Unlike Don Maca or La Negra Francisca’s fishermen, the alleged traffickers aboard the vessel were returned to Ecuador the same day, alive and without apparent serious injuries— paraded in front of TV outlets as a victory lap for the Ecuadorian government.Sign of El Salvador’s migration center where Don Maca survivors were transferred, provided to Drop Site by legal counsel for the survivors.While no drugs or illicit behavior were found on any of the three boats, the same cannot be said for ships belonging to the family and private enterprises of Ecuador’s right-wing president, Daniel Noboa.In 2025, Colombian investigative journal, Revista Raya, revealed that €26 million worth of cocaine headed for Croatia had been seized by Ecuadorian authorities from the shipping containers of Noboa Trading. Leaked chats showed Balkan drug traffickers bragging that they had exclusive access to Noboa Trading ports and containers.An employee of Noboa Trading, Jose Luis Rivera, responsible for inspecting the ports for narcotics, has been arrested by Ecuadorian officials four times in connection to drug trafficking. Noboa’s personal attorney, who he later appointed Minister of Health, served as the legal representation for Rivera. Rivera’s charges were dismissed after Ecuador’s attorney general decided not to pursue charges. In March the head of Ecuador’s notorious cartel, Los Tiguerones, told Spanish newspaper El Mundo that President Noboa struck a deal with the group to whip votes for his election in exchange for immunity, contradicting his primary campaign pledge to combat drug trafficking and corruption.The Miami-born billionaire was elected president of Ecuador only after the assassination of his political rival, Fernando Villavicencio; American mercenary group, Blackwater, patrolled voting sites on election day. Noboa has since built a military regime, backed by the U.S. through Pentagon-supplied bombs, and enforced using a never-ending decree that the country is in a state of war. The FBI even opened its first office on Ecuadorian soil under the pretext of fighting drug trafficking. A UN probe determined there was insufficient legal basis for Noboa’s state of war decree.Tamara Lajtman, researcher at the Lawfare Observatory, calls it “the consolidation of an authoritarian project with strong elements of militarization and geopolitical alignment with the United States.” “Ecuador is being reconfigured as a strategic enclave in the hemispheric security architecture of the United States, especially in that strategic competition with China,” Lajtman continued. “We’re seeing raids, judicial proceedings, actions in the electoral arena, public stigmatization.”All the while, drug trafficking has soared under Noboa’s presidency, now accounting for 70% of the world’s cocaine distribution.The spectacle of “combatting drug trafficking” while actually targeting civilians is reminiscent of Colombia’s 2006 “Falsos Positivos” scandal wherein U.S.-funded armies massacred an estimated 6,000 disabled men, luring them to remote areas under the false promise of a job, then slaughtering and dressing them in guerrilla uniforms to meet wartime quotas.In March, the New York Times published an investigation that found campesinos, in the indigenous and oil-rich Sucumbíos region of the Amazon, had been kidnapped, waterboarded, electrocuted, and bombed during a joint operation by the Ecuadorian military and U.S. Southern Command. Using U.S. intelligence, the operation had supposedly identified a FARC dissident drug camp. However, the New York Times, and several local journalists, found no proof of a drug camp—only a farm whose workers were left with severe physical and psychological trauma.A few months prior, 16 Ecuadorian soldiers were convicted for the kidnapping and burning to death of 4 Afro-Ecuadorian children as young as 11 years old. The military tried to justify the atrocity by wrongfully accusing them of drug trafficking.As executive power continues to be unconstitutionally consolidated in Ecuador, through the banning of political opposition parties, the rescheduling of elections, the kidnapping of democratically elected officials, and the assasination of indigenous workers on strike, a sense that the country has slid into autocracy now prevails. As former president of Ecuador’s National Assembly and the leader of Noboa’s largest political opposition party, Gabriel Rivadeneira, said, “Ecuador is living under dictatorship. Whoever raises their voice to defend the rights of their people either has their life threatened, their house raided, or is sent to jail.”Leave a commentShareCorrection, April 21, 2026: Noboa’s personal attorney is the former Minister of Health, not the current minister. The mistake was due to an editing error.

Families of fishermen missing at sea from the Jaramijó community, Manta, Manabí. On April 15 and 16, 2026, a delegation from the Human Rights Commission (CDH) conducted a Verification Mission on Vessel Sinkings in Manabí. This mission facilitated the documentation of cases and meetings to promote the organization of survivors and families of fishermen missing at sea. The CDH also met with public officials involved in this issue. San Mateo Community, Manta. According to documented testimonies, in March 2026, the vessels “Don Maca” and “La Negra Francisca,” belonging to the artisanal fishing community of San Mateo in Manta, sank. These attacks were perpetrated by U.S. military patrols within Ecuadorian territorial waters, near the Galápagos Islands, while the vessels' crews were engaged in their usual fishing activities. Furthermore, the attack on the vessels Don Maca and La Negra Francisca involved the use of armed drones and vessels carrying U.S. military personnel. We identified a pattern of behavior in these attacks at sea, which resulted in several serious injuries, as well as the arbitrary detention and torture of more than 20 fishermen in total. This included prolonged periods of incommunicado detention until they were handed over days later to a Salvadoran naval patrol, without charges being filed against them. Both groups were subsequently repatriated to Ecuador. A similar but aggravated case is the sinking of the vessel “Fiorella” from the Jaramijó community in January 2026. In this case, eight fishermen are still missing. Two survivors of this attack recounted that, while fishing in a boat far from the “Fiorella,” they saw smoke, and from that point on, the whereabouts of the vessel and its crew are unknown. According to the information gathered, the Human Rights Commission (CDH) believes that the crews of the three vessels suffered enforced disappearance at the hands of a foreign military force. Furthermore, the complete secrecy, inaction, and silence of the National Government authorities regarding this serious human rights violation against artisanal fishermen in Manabí is deeply concerning. Testimonies VESSEL NEGRA FRANCISCA DUARTE HERNAN FLORES My name is Hernán Flores. I am the captain of the vessel Negra Francisca Duarte. I have held this position for about twenty years. I live in San Mateo, and the vessel belongs to my father. We set out to fish on March 2nd. The Routine Inspection On Tuesday, March 17th, at five in the morning, the Galapagos Coast Guard vessel LG-30 boarded us for a routine inspection. We were about 170 miles from the islands, still in Ecuadorian waters, territory where we are authorized to fish. We've had those kinds of checks before; it's normal. When the coast guard finds a boat, they inspect the catch and verify that there's nothing illegal. Thank God, everything was fine. At eight in the morning, they left, and we continued on course 110 toward the port of Manta. The Drones Around 1:30 in the afternoon, while I was in the wheelhouse, the guys on deck alerted me: "Captain, there's a drone coming." They saw two drones with little tubes hanging from them. I told them we couldn't do anything and that we should stay the course, thinking they were just filming drones and that we didn't know they could be carrying bombs. At that moment, the impact happened: an explosion so loud it left our ears ringing. The drones crashed into the back, the stern, and the wheelhouse. One drone even flew through the window and landed on the deck; it was a device with four wings and a tube in the middle. In total, there were two drones and a mini observation plane with two fins that followed us as we headed toward the blue boat. My nephew Jordi I slowed the boat down and got out. I saw that the roof had fallen on Jordi; the drone had passed right by him. Since he's tall, the impact cut him deeply; you could see the bone, and his face was split open, in addition to the burns. He kept screaming because of his mangled foot. The boys grabbed the fire extinguishers, but the flames were spreading quickly. Some jumped into the water in fear. We had four fishing boats, two of which we managed to pull in to rescue everyone, both those in the water and those still on the boat. There were eight of us in one boat and the remaining eight in the other. I wanted to grab the drone when the rescue boat came to get us because I wanted to have the proof, but I was afraid it would explode. Besides, I'm sure that if we had taken it, the Americans would have taken it from us. Once safe, we proceeded to search for that blue ship. As we sailed, a small observation plane followed us from the sky; we kept our eyes fixed on it for fear it would drop another bomb on us. When we finally reached the ship, we noticed that it never came to our aid nor showed any intention of helping us; on the contrary, it seemed to change course and sail away. It took us about forty minutes to reach them. The American Ship As we approached with the wounded man, we saw several Americans pointing guns at us. They shouted "hands up" in Spanish, since they were using translators. I was the first to go aboard; they handcuffed me with my hands behind my back, put a hood over my head, and took me to the top of the ship. They sat us down one by one on the deck. Since the boys were barefoot and the floor was made of iron, hot from the sun, they poured water on our feet. Around three in the afternoon, they gave us a bottle of water, and the boat set sail. At dawn on Wednesday, they took us all ashore. They never asked us what had happened or what the accident was, only our names. I remember one of my companions crying and moaning; when I tried to speak to him, they ordered us to be quiet. They left my nephew Jordi below deck to be treated, but they didn't help another companion who was burned; he slept with us on the floor, and the next day his shirt was covered in blisters from the burns. I also had a head wound with blood, and they just poured water on it. I was very dizzy from the blows I had sustained. During the voyage, we were freezing; water was dripping onto the boat, and they had us all crammed together in one place at the bow. The guys were only wearing shorts. Some of my companions had head injuries, others had burns, and one was covered in bruises from the blows. Another companion, while pulling a rope, fell and hurt himself so badly that he couldn't sleep. I had to do it sideways or sitting up. We slept on the floor, in an area with small stones; we were handcuffed and kept turning to our sides because of the cold. The mistake they didn't acknowledge Jordi later told us that, while he was being treated downstairs, he saw the Americans arguing in front of a whiteboard where they had drawn a small boat and two drones. When he told them that the Ecuadorian coast guard had already searched us that very morning, the Americans scratched their heads and started insulting each other, blaming one of them who was overweight. They realized their mistake because they hadn't investigated us before attacking; they simply detained us and forced us to remain silent. But even so, they kept us hooded and without food. At six o'clock that same afternoon, the ship Solavis passed near us, carrying one of my nephews. He managed to take pictures of the burning ship and the boats. There was a boat that appeared to have been bombed, and they managed to recover an engine. The exact coordinates of the fire are in that video. That night, my nephew posted the videos online, and people started speculating. Our relatives were desperate because they thought there were no survivors. Those who washed their hands of it In the morning, we were transferred to a large Salvadoran coast guard boat. The Salvadorans were surprised because they weren't given any evidence; we were simply handed over as castaways. The name of the American ship was Atlantis, something like Atlantis Ocean or Splin, I'm not sure. But the Salvadoran coast guard knows this because they themselves handed us over. They were American military personnel; they wore brownish uniforms and had weapons. The Salvadorans did ask us what had happened and gave us food and water during the eight days it took to travel to El Salvador. We arrived in El Salvador on Monday at 10:30 p.m. That's when they reported we were shipwrecked, and my family in San Mateo found out through the news in the early morning. We arrived at a place called Puerto Unión in El Salvador. From there, the police took us on a four-hour bus ride to the city of San Salvador. They checked our records and confirmed that we are Ecuadorians from San Mateo and Manta. In El Salvador, the laws are very strict; the process was quick, and they sent us to immigration because we needed an emergency safe-conduct pass for the return trip. We completely reject the statements of the Minister of Defense. If they have so much technology, why did they bomb us? Why didn't they radio us or approach us? How can a U.S. Coast Guard vessel hand us over to El Salvador without any evidence, just with the word "shipwrecked"? If we were doing something illegal, they would have taken us to the Galapagos base, which was closer. They simply washed their hands of it. The other young man, my nephew Jordi, is still hospitalized at the Rodríguez Zambrano Hospital. The worst part is that they haven't received any public health assistance; the family members themselves are covering all the medical expenses because the hospital hasn't helped them at all. You could see the bone and everything; it was awful. CARMEN ESPINOZA My name is Carmen Espinoza. I'm a manicurist and the wife of one of the crew members of the Negra Francisca Duarte vessel who were attacked at sea. My husband has been fishing for thirty years. This is the first time anything like this has happened to us. The Night at the Port Authority We found out what happened on Tuesday, March 17th. My partner went to the Port Authority around ten o'clock at night to ask for answers, because videos were already circulating on social media. I couldn't go at that time because I have a one-year-old daughter and I live in Jaramijó, which made it difficult for me to leave at that hour. She told me that she was there until three in the morning and didn't receive any answers; In fact, the officials never opened the door, and the families remained outside all night. The next day, I went there from 10:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., but there was still no response. The Condolences No One Asked For On Thursday, March 19, Commander Criollo limited himself to offering his sincerest condolences at a press conference, publicly claiming that the crew members were in international waters with illicit substances. However, that same day he held a private meeting with a family member of each crew member, where he apologized, admitting that he had been mistaken about their location because he hadn't realized the information on his phone was incorrect. We demand a public apology because behind each crew member are families and children, and it's not fair to make assumptions without any basis. He promised to give it at a press conference, but he never did. In fact, he got angry when his promise was brought up. It should be emphasized that at four in the morning on March 17, they had already been boarded by the San Cristóbal Coast Guard. They had nothing illegal; they were returning home with their catch. We want an explanation of why the commander gave that version of events when the Port Authority should have a record from San Cristóbal confirming that they were traveling without incident. Why were they bombed at two in the afternoon? What were the motives? To date, we have no answers. What my husband experienced My husband recounts that when the Americans captured them, he had a very serious foot injury and couldn't walk. Even so, they tied his hands behind his back. When they asked for help, they were brought forward, but their faces were covered with a sack, like a flour sack. My husband says that, due to the intense pain in his foot, he tried to move, and that's why they hit him on the head about three times to force him not to look up, where the American flag was. That is a blatant violation of his rights. It was my husband's first trip on that specific boat; my friend's husband had been on it two or three times. But they've always been involved in fishing; it's their life's work. Eight Days in the Dark Exactly eight days passed from the incident until we knew exactly where they were. We found out through the Salvadoran authorities; they made it public and posted it on Facebook. That's how we found out, because we never received any information from the Port Authority here, they didn't even have a contact number. The Salvadoran Port Authority even posted a number on Facebook that we simply called. When we saw the news on social media, we were overjoyed to know that, thank God, they were alive. Later, the local captain held a press conference as if he had managed everything, when in reality he did nothing. The Marches and Sit-ins We created a group to coordinate actions at the Port Authority. We made posters with photos of our husbands, held marches, and staged a sit-in. We received support from San Mateo with two buses, but the Commander never showed his face and always kept the doors closed. Even when journalists were allowed in, we, the family members, received no information. The lawyer handled the legal actions. We focused on organizing marches, sit-ins, and making public demands directly at the Command Headquarters. We constantly complained about the meager and inadequate response we received. What the State Didn't Do The Salvadoran Foreign Ministry did nothing regarding the tickets; those were provided by the owners of the vessel. There was talk of arranging a humanitarian flight for the affected crew members, but that never materialized. Since the families here wanted the immediate return of our relatives, the owner helped with the purchase of the flights. They began returning about five days after the social media posts. Those who were unharmed returned first. During those five days, we did have communication with them thanks to the Salvadoran Foreign Ministry; there was an intermediary, a Salvadoran official, who facilitated the phone connection so we could speak with our families. They didn't arrive all on the same day: they arrived in groups, first three, then five, then another eight. My husband arrived five days after we established that connection. They aren't providing any kind of assistance; they are vulnerable at sea, that's the reality. Their rights are being violated, and we demand answers, because it's unacceptable that the Port Captain calls them criminals when he has no basis or foundation. Then, after two days, they talk about a rescue when they never did anything; they didn't even have the decency or empathy to give us any hope. We wonder what guarantees there are that they can return to their work if the Ecuadorian State and the Port Authority do nothing to support them. VESSEL MACA JOHN SEBASTIAN PALACIOS My name is John Sebastian Palacios. We set out to fish on March 18, 2026, from San Mateo, on the boat Don Maca. We sailed for eight days on the high seas. We are fishermen, not criminals, and what happened to us shouldn't have happened to anyone. The patrol was following us. After seven or eight days, we spotted the patrol. They followed us all night while we were fishing, and frankly, we were worried because the Americans were following us. We just focused on fishing. We made the first haul and the next morning we collected the catch. On that first haul, we landed 160 fish, including swordfish, albacore, and dogfish; we had almost filled a winch. We have always used that fishing route. The attack. At four in the afternoon, I was in the hold arranging the fish when we heard two explosions. One hit the back, blowing up the fuel tank. If the impact had been a quarter higher, we wouldn't be here to tell the tale because all the cylinders would have exploded there. That's where the other shot came from, more or less where we have our communication line. A comrade who was there was injured; now he has psychological trauma and problems with his eye and ear, he's almost completely lost his hearing. His name is Erick Fabricio Coello Saltos, he's 27 years old. There's another comrade who's been left partially deaf in one ear. Instead of attacking us, why didn't they call the ship? They have radios and could have said, "You know what? This is happening, let's check the ship." But no, they attacked us without warning. Handcuffed and hooded When we saw the Americans circling, we went up on deck. There's a video where I appear wearing a white shirt, waving as the patrol boat approached. It was a blue patrol boat, the Trans-Oceanic; it had three large containers in the back. We signaled for them to come closer. They approached slowly, and from a distance, they signaled for one of us to come ashore. The captain, myself, and another crew member went over. They asked how many of us there were, and we replied that there were twenty. They asked if there were any wounded, and we confirmed that there was one. They said, "Everyone come here." We went toward them in the boat. As we boarded, they handcuffed and hooded us all. After they hooded us, they fired two more shots at the boat. After half an hour, they sank the vessel. We were so scared that we didn't even dare to reach for our phones to record, thinking that if we made a wrong move, they would shoot us again. We were all on the gunwale, ready to jump into the water with life preservers if they fired one more shot. First came the drones, and then the American vessel. The boat was still afloat when we boarded their ships; It was at that moment, after they took us out and hooded us, that they attacked the vessel and the boats to sink them. There were two small drones and one larger one monitoring the area. With their technology and radar, they had a complete view of us and knew perfectly well that we were fishing legally. Eight Days in the Pacific We sailed until about midnight and were transferred to another patrol boat, a Salvadoran one. When that patrol arrived, we thought they were going to kill us because we were handcuffed and walking toward the shore. When they took off our hoods, the other crew members were scared because they were pointing guns at us. The captain of the Salvadoran patrol told us, "Well, guys, for your own good and the good of my crew, we're going to have to handcuff you." We slept the night in handcuffs, and we were like that for eight days until we reached El Salvador. We slept on the deck, exposed to the sun and rain. They fed us once or twice a day. There, we went to give statements. It was then that our families found out we were alive, thanks to the woman who took the photo. While we were on patrol, we kept asking if they had notified anyone, and they kept saying yes, that they had already informed the Ecuadorian Navy, but they never shared any information or photos. VESSEL FIORELLA EDUARDAS MORERA ESPINAL My name is Eduardo Morera Espinal. I own the vessel Fiorella. My history with fishing began when I was fifteen years old, alongside my father, who was a captain and shipowner. The Fiorella had never had an incident in its history. The Lost Signal Until they left, we maintained contact with them because they had internet access. I spoke with the captain and the engineer without any problems; they answered and told me they had no issues, that they were going out to fish for octopus. They sailed for about three or four days until they reached the area where they were going to fish, reaching positions 85 and 012 South. The day before the incident, their internet had gone down, but even so, because of the pirates, they always carry a satellite phone. I monitored the ship every day through my computer. The tracking chip works like the ones in new cars. That day, I saw that the signal was active until 1:00 PM on Monday. I got scared because, when something like this happens, they usually call immediately to report any problems. Since the captain knew I was monitoring him, the fact that he didn't answer made me feel desperate. I went to the engineer's wife's house and then to the captain's father's house to talk to them; finally, my wife and I decided to go to the Port Authority to file a report, because a ship doesn't just disappear like that. We left the written reports and the complaint at the Port Authority, but the next day, seeing no reaction, we also went to the Prosecutor's Office with a lawyer to file a formal complaint. The Days Before the Attack About three days before this happened, the captain told his wife that a patrol boat was following them and a drone was circling them. It was almost the same situation as with the other boats. The captain also sent me a message saying that the patrol was following him closely, but that he was going to continue on course, just like the other captains; he thought that if they were stopped or boarded, there wouldn't be a problem because they had nothing illegal and were simply fishing. The next day the patrol boat moved away, but the drone continued to follow them. The Boats and What They Saw Once at the fishing coordinates, they proceeded to launch the boats. They launched two: while some of the people fishing from the boat did so, one boat set its longline (the practice of placing a fishing line with hooks) next to the vessel, and the other set it further out, towards the shore. They agreed to meet the captain the next day at a specific location to deliver their catch, but the ship never arrived. The crew of the boat caught a glimpse of something in the distance emitting dark, black smoke, but they thought it might be a passing merchant ship, since the vessel hadn't shown any signs of damage beforehand. They waited all night at the agreed-upon location, and when the ship didn't arrive, they went to look for the ship's longline. They found it. A longline is a fishing gear consisting of a reel with a very long line and a baited hook every thirty or thirty-two fathoms. They found the longline, tied it to the end of the flag, and waited until nightfall the following day, but the ship never appeared. They suspected something bad had happened. They hadn't gone near the ship earlier because they didn't have enough fuel, so they had to take a risk and sail toward land. On the way, they found a ship that gave them first aid and food. Through that captain, they spoke with the owner, who then called me to tell me they had found one of the ship's boats. I was very surprised because the captain and the engineer were very responsible people; it was very unusual for the boat to have gone missing. When the two surviving crew members arrived, they confirmed that the patrol and the drone had been following them, and that although the patrol split up, the drone stayed there until they went fishing and lost sight of the ship. We had built that boat with a lot of sacrifice and loans. We were doing very well. JOHNNY VALENCIA My name is Johnny Valencia. I am a fisherman from Jaramijó, in the province of Manabí. I started in the trade when I was eight years old and I have been at sea for fifty-two years. I am a captain in charge of a ship with about twenty-five years of experience. I haven't heard from my son Juan Carlos, captain of the Fiorella, since January 20th. They set sail on January 13, 2026, and the incident occurred at exactly 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 20. The Fiorella The Fiorella is a small boat, about fifteen meters long and five meters wide; much smaller than the Don Maca or the Negra Francisca. They set sail with ten crew members. My son was the captain. They had two smaller boats detached from the main vessel: one heading north and the other east, about fifteen miles out. There were two people in each boat, and six had remained aboard the Fiorella. They were stationary, as they say, because they had set the longline (the practice of attaching a fishing line with hooks). The last communication I spoke with my son at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, by satellite phone and asked him how things were. He told me, "Father, things are fine; the only thing is that drones and patrols have been following us." But since they were working peacefully, we never imagined what was going to happen. That was the last I heard from him. His satellite internet data ran out shortly after, and the message he sent me with his location was because drones were following him. The drones that were following them Before, the presence of patrols and drones was common but different. The patrol would just circle around, check them, and leave. The drones and planes would just fly by. But this time it was different: from January 17th to 19th, they were being circled. An Ecuadorian coast guard vessel even came within a mile of them. On January 20th, at 1:00 p.m., the attack occurred. At that time, the tracking chip signal was completely lost. Even the boat owner called me to say they'd lost signal, and although we thought it might be a malfunction, nothing like this had ever happened before. The boat to the east radioed desperately three times: "Captain, Captain!", but communication was also lost with the other boat to the north. National waters, not international. "It's purely national waters, sir. It's Ecuadorian territory; we're off the coast of Manta. They were located approximately at coordinates 85°05'012" South, which is about 240 or 250 miles offshore. At the Port Authority, they said they had different coordinates and that they were in international waters. I told the Port Captain no, that the coordinates they were using weren't international. Maybe he thought I didn't know, but I'm a captain too, and I know we were in national waters. I have about twenty-five years of experience; I know where Ecuador is, where Peru is, and where Colombia is. If it were an international operation, it would have had to be a Colombian patrol boat, not an American one. The Two Survivors In the case of the Fiorella, we don't have physical evidence like we did with the Negra Francisca, but we do have witnesses who saw the boat smoking. They are two survivors who were aboard the fiberglass boat "Primer Mandamiento"; one is named Ignacio, and I don't know the other's name. They were fishing eastward and, at approximately 1:00 p.m. on January 20, they spotted smoke to the west, in the direction where the Fiorella was located. They kept hauling in the longline until nearly 7:00 p.m., waiting for the Fiorella to come and pick them up as usual, but the vessel never appeared. They stayed in the area the following day and searched a three- or four-mile radius, but found no trace. They decided to sail toward the port and, on the way, they encountered another vessel that finally brought them ashore. It was then that we learned what had happened, and they proceeded to give their testimony both at the Port Authority and the Prosecutor's Office. The Port Captain absurdly questioned the testimony of one of them. Upon arriving at the port, this crew member couldn't remember the exact name of the vessel he was on and asked his companion, writing it down on a piece of paper: "Primero Mandamiento" (First Commandment). When he was giving his official statement, he consulted the paper to clarify the name, and the Port Captain claimed that the testimony wasn't valid because "he was reading what he was going to say." It's a completely illogical and out-of-place argument. Unspeakable evil. We are not satisfied with the Port Authority's response because they aren't helping us. At the Port Authority, they aren't telling us what should be done, nor are they giving us clear answers. What happened to Negra Francisca Duarte and Don Maca must have happened to the Fiorella vessel; in fact, they were the first to be attacked. What we want is for them to be alive or in any prison, but please, bring them back. Manta used to have a US presence, about fifteen years ago, during Plan Colombia. Back then, that presence also resulted in attacks on fishermen and the sinking of ships. Imagine how many boats and vessels were lost during those years. We fish, we're poor people, and they come here to harm us in Ecuador when we don't harm anyone. There was a referendum where we said we didn't want US military bases, but practically speaking, the vote of Ecuadorians doesn't count, because even though the majority said no, they're still here. They've been here for many years; the difference is that they didn't attack like they're attacking now. MARIA MERO My name is Maria Mero. My husband and brother are on the Fiorella. We haven't heard from them since January 20th, when they disappeared. It's been three months. Three Months of Silence Since they disappeared, there has been no communication. We don't understand why they are being taken without any information. All we want is for them to be returned. If any patrol has them or they are being held, please let us know and release them, because they are fishermen. They are innocent and weren't doing anything wrong. We are all suffering because of this. We ask for your mercy, because there are children who need their fathers. The eight fishermen who are being held need their families, and we need them too. This experience has been very painful; we are desperate not knowing anything about them. We want to know where they are being held. We want them back alive because the uncertainty is unbearable. Those of us left waiting I have a little girl who cries for her father. My husband's father is ill. My husband's mother just passed away. His father suffers from diabetes. And my brother is also missing. It is a desperate situation for us. The authorities haven't helped us; they have ignored us. We have no knowledge of any real search having been conducted. When we went to the Port Authority demanding information, they gave us nothing. This has happened before. Similar cases occurred here in Jaramijó some time ago, but they stopped. However, since January, they have done the same thing to the fishermen again. We believe the patrol did the same thing as with the other boats: they attacked them and took them away. Just as they took them, we demand their return. If they are imprisoned or in the custody of a patrol, we demand their return. We want them back alive. We ask President Daniel Noboa and the President of the United States directly to please return them wherever they are being held. They are innocent fishermen, and three months have already passed. MARÍA CUEVA My name is María Cueva. My son, Jefferson Mera Cueva, is twenty-five years old and has been fishing for almost ten years; he started when he was sixteen. He went out to sea on January 13th and hasn't returned since the 20th. He was the pillar of our home. The pillar of the home I'm not doing anything right now. My son was the one who worked to support us all. His father is sick; he suffers from diabetes and hypertension. Since he's been gone, we've been having a very hard time. All I ask is that my son comes back or that, wherever they have him, they give me some kind of communication or a call to let me know he's alive. That's what I ask of God, that He help me find him. Jefferson has never had any incidents like this before. This is the first time. He went out fishing and never returned. Closed doors We've gone to the Port Authority, but they close the door on us and won't help us. Captain Diego Criollo refuses to see us; he always says he's busy and that we have to make an appointment to be seen. This happened during January and February. There were several families who went; I was the last one to go. What the Port Authority told us was that they had already closed the case. They claimed they were already dead and that we should go talk to the owner so he could give us compensation because they weren't coming back. That's what the Port Captain told us. But we still have hope that they will return. The Captain's words caused us a lot of pain; instead of helping us, it seems he wants to discourage us or sadden us so that we stop looking for them. Instead of supporting us, he turned his back on us. I'm sure he hasn't sent anyone to look for them. The longline and what they found The owner of the boat was the one who sent a private vessel to look for them after they went missing. They found the boat's longline where the vessel was located. The longline is the fishing gear they use. That's why I'm sure that the same thing happened to the Fiorella as to the other boats; It was the first vessel they did that to. I'm convinced they did it themselves. If the longline was found there, they should have investigated whether the boat was sunk or sent divers. But we have no information that this was done. Until the bodies are found Until the bodies are found, we will continue to demand their safe return. We only ask that they be returned, that they come back now, because we are desperate. As a mother, I can't eat or sleep anymore; I don't even know what to do. My husband is sick, and the children are too. I feel like I want to die because of this situation. UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances On April 8, 2026, the Human Rights Commission sent a request to the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances for the issuance of an Urgent Action regarding the disappearance of the fishing crew of the Ecuadorian vessel Fiorella from the community of Jaramijó in Manabí. In the petition, the Human Rights Commission (CDH) states that: On January 13, 2026, ten fishermen from Jaramijó and one from Manta set out to fish aboard the mother ship “Fiorella.” The vessel's alleged disappearance occurred on the night of January 20, 2026, and to date, there has been no official report on the whereabouts of eight of the fishermen. There are two survivors. Subsequently, relatives of the eight fishermen went to the Manta Port Authority, where they requested information from naval authorities about the situation of the vessel and its crew. There, they demanded the continuation of the search efforts and that the Public Prosecutor's Office expedite the investigation to clarify what happened. However, they have received no answers to date. Context regarding previous disappearances attributed to U.S. military personnel: In the province of Manabí, primarily in coastal communities, several incidents of disappearances and attacks on fishing vessels have been reported. The most recent, occurring in March 2026, involved the vessel “Don Maca.” The fishermen of the “Don Maca” returned to the city of Manta after being at sea following an incident on March 26, 2026. The vessel had departed from Manta on March 17 with 20 people on board. According to the crew members' testimonies, while at sea they were intercepted by a U.S. vessel. They recounted that, as the vessel approached, they were taken into custody one by one, handcuffed, and hooded. They indicated that one of the fishermen was injured. They report that the vessel “Don Maca” and its auxiliary boats were bombed and subsequently sunk, an action they attribute to foreign military personnel. The fishermen stated that, after these events, they were taken by those who intercepted them and later handed over to personnel from the Salvadoran Navy. From there, they were received by the corresponding authorities and then repatriated to Ecuador. Upon their return, several of the crew members underwent medical and psychological evaluations. Meanwhile, to date, there has been no official statement from Ecuadorian authorities regarding the reported events. Various institutions, including the Ecuadorian Navy, the Joint Command of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the U.S. Embassy, were contacted without receiving a response. Recommendations of the Committee against Enforced Disappearances on Urgent Action Establish a comprehensive strategy that includes an action plan and a timeline for the immediate search for the eight missing fishermen and for a thorough and impartial investigation into their alleged disappearances. Ensure that this strategy complies with due diligence requirements at each stage of the search process, including promptness, immediacy, and thoroughness of the investigation. Ensure that the adopted strategy takes into account all existing investigative hypotheses in the case, including the possibility that the events in question constitute an enforced disappearance due to the alleged involvement of state agents. In this regard, the Committee recalls the allegations and information gathered in the context of these urgent actions, according to which the alleged disappearances occurred in a context where security and defense cooperation agreements exist between Ecuador and the United States of America, which permit the presence and operations of foreign military personnel in certain contexts. Furthermore, according to the allegations received, several fishing vessels have been attacked or disappeared off the coast of Manabí province, with the alleged involvement of foreign military personnel, yet no measures have been taken to prevent and eradicate such incidents. Ensure that the adopted strategy determines the actions to be taken to search for and locate the missing persons, investigate their alleged disappearances, and identify the perpetrators, considering all existing hypotheses in an integrated, efficient, and coordinated manner, with the necessary material resources and adequately trained personnel to locate the missing persons. Conduct a thorough examination of telephone networks to identify potential locations, call logs, and content received and generated (e.g., photos, messages, etc.) from the cell phones of the eight fishermen. Identify the two fishermen who reportedly set sail with the group of eight missing fishermen but became separated from the group en route, obtain their statements, and incorporate them into the investigation into the disappearance of the eight fishermen. Take all necessary measures to protect witnesses, including the confidential handling of information related to their participation in the proceedings. Search for, collect, and analyze evidence related to the events under consideration, ensuring its preservation and protection in accordance with the principles of chain of custody. Establish without delay mechanisms for cooperation, coordination, and assistance with the competent authorities of any State that, according to allegations received, may be involved in the events, including El Salvador and the United States of America, in accordance with Articles 14 and 15 of the Convention, to search for and locate the missing fishermen, investigate their alleged disappearances, and assist the victims of said disappearances. Preliminary Considerations of the Human Rights Commission (CDH) The following considerations of the CDH were identified after listening to the survivors and relatives of the fishermen still missing, and after meetings of the Verification Mission, comprised of Billy Navarrete, President, and Fernando Bastias, Coordinator of the Protection Area of our organization, with authorities from the Manta Port Authority, the Manta Prosecutor's Office for Missing Persons, and the Manta Ombudsman's Office, held on April 15 and 16, 2026. - The Ecuadorian State's limited or nonexistent response to investigate the sinking of the three vessels is concerning, especially considering testimonies indicating surveillance and attacks by U.S. drones and patrols. Furthermore, the conditions of torture, enforced disappearance, and prolonged incommunicado detention by U.S. patrols during their captivity are also troubling. - It is essential to address the claims of the owners of sunken vessels, surviving crew members, and relatives of the missing, who have provided satellite coordinates indicating where the attacks allegedly occurred in Ecuadorian waters while they were carrying out their fishing activities. - We reject the claim by national government authorities that the vessels were involved in transnational illegal trafficking, offered as an excuse for the sinkings and without any supporting evidence, despite the fact that the survivors are free in Ecuador without charges against them. - The lack of even minimal state action, of a humanitarian nature, to guarantee the repatriation of survivors from El Salvador is significant; the costs were covered by the vessel owners. This also includes the lack of medical care for the fishermen who are still injured. Legal Assistance: Fernando Bastías Photos: Billy Navarrete Text Transcription and Editing: Jennifer Torres and Samir Vargas Related Press Releases April 16, 2026: Families of eight missing fishermen denounce lack of state search. El Comercio newspaper. Given this situation, the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDH) brought the case before the UN Committee against Enforced Disappearances, which last Monday demanded that Ecuador implement urgent search efforts. Full article: https://tinyurl.com/yffb24am April 16, 2026: Disappearance of fishermen sparks alerts and demands against Ecuadorian authorities. El Nacional Venezuelan newspaper. Due to the lack of concrete action, the case was taken to the international level. Fernando Bastias, of the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDH), reported that they appealed to the UN Committee against Enforced Disappearances, which urged the Ecuadorian State to act urgently to locate the missing persons “immediately.” Full article: https://tinyurl.com/ye2y3d9j April 16, 2026 Human Rights Committee demands investigation into the disappearance of the Fiorella ship at sea off Ecuador. Portal kchcomunicaciones.com The Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDH) requested an investigation into the disappearance of the Fiorella vessel, which has been missing for almost three months at sea. The organization activated an urgent action before the United Nations Committee against Enforced Disappearances. Lawyer Fernando Bastidas, representative of the CDH, explained that the international body has already issued recommendations. Among other things, he called for immediate cooperation between Ecuador, El Salvador, and the United States to locate the crew members. Bastidas indicated that the families “require official information that clarifies the facts,” which has not yet happened. Full article: https://tinyurl.com/4y6une3t April 16, 2026 CDH asks the UN to investigate the disappearance of the Fiorella vessel in Manabí. Diario Ultima Hora. The Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDH) filed an urgent action with the United Nations Committee against Enforced Disappearances regarding the disappearance of the fishing vessel Fiorella, which has been missing since January 20, 2026. The organization demands that the Ecuadorian State establish immediate cooperation with El Salvador and the United States to locate the crew members. The families' lawyers, Fernando Bastidas and Juan Alvía, denounced the lack of timely official operations and criticized the maritime authorities for insinuating, without evidence, links to illegal activities. illicit. According to testimonies, before losing contact, drones were observed flying over the aircraft and a column of black smoke on the horizon. The defense maintains that there are indications of possible external intervention, and therefore requests that the case be investigated as an enforced disappearance. Full article: https://tinyurl.com/bdda5y7f April 17, 2026 UN demands Ecuador search for eight fishermen missing in Manabí Radio Pichincha For his part, Fernando Bastias, coordinator of the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDH) of Guayaquil, pointed out that there is a “recognized incapacity” on the part of the Prosecutor's Office due to a lack of institutional cooperation. Bastias stressed that this is not an isolated case, citing similar incidents with the vessels ‘Don Maca’ and ‘Negra Francisca II’, which were allegedly attacked by US ships. Full article: https://tinyurl.com/p3bpwxca April 21, 2026 ‘We were terrified they were going to kill us’: fishermen who survived US boat strike speak out British newspaper The Guardian “A US vessel intercepted them and “They were forced aboard. Once detained, their fishing boat was dynamited,” stated Fernando Bastias Robayo, a lawyer with the Human Rights Council (CDH). “Their faces were arbitrarily covered, and then they were abandoned on the Salvadoran coast. Any apprehension followed by incommunicado detention constitutes enforced disappearance. “It was a form of psychological torture, the uncertainty about the future and the fact of having their faces covered,” he added. Bastias Robayo stated that there has been no official response from either the Ecuadorian or U.S. authorities. Full article in English: https://tinyurl.com/2fw3k27w Download the article translated by the CDH into Spanish: https://nube.interfabu.com/s/Cr2cGWWGYKF4zpj

Familias de pescadores desaparecidos en alta mar de la comunidad Jaramijó, Manta, Manabí. El 15 y 16 de abril del 2026 una delegación del CDH realizó la Misión de Verificación sobre Hundimientos de Embarcaciones en Manabí. Esta Misión permitió la documentación de casos y reuniones para el fomento de la organización de los sobrevivientes y las familias de pescadores desaparecidos en alta mar. Además el CDH se reunió con funcionarios públicos relacionados con esta problemática. Comunidad de San Mateo, Manta.  Según testimonios documentados, en marzo del 2026 ocurrieron los hundimientos de las embarcaciones “Don Maca” y “La Negra Francisca” de la comunidad de pescadores artesanales San Mateo en Manta. Estos ataques fueron perpetrados por patrullas militares de Estados Unidos dentro de aguas territoriales del Ecuador, cerca de las Islas Galápagos, mientras la tripulación de las embarcaciones desarrollaban el usual trabajo de pesca. Además, el ataque a las embarcaciones Don Maca y La Negra Francisca, incluyó el uso de drones artillados y embarcaciones con militares estadounidenses. Identificamos un patrón de conducta en estos ataques en alta mar que dejó varios heridos graves, así como la detención arbitraria y torturas a más de 20 de pescadores en total, que incluyó largos períodos de incomunicación hasta ser entregados días después a patrulla de la marina de El Salvador, sin cargos en su contra. Posteriormente ambos grupos fueron repatriados a Ecuador. Un caso similar pero agravado es el hundimiento de la embarcación “ Fiorella” de la comuna Jaramijó ocurrido en enero del 2026. En este caso, 8 pescadores aún se encuentran desaparecidos. Dos sobrevivientes de este ataque narraron que, al momento de estar en una lancha pescando, lejos de la embarcación “Fiorella”, lograron observar humo y a partir de allí se desconoce el paradero de esa nave y de su tripulación. De acuerdo a la información recabada, desde el CDH consideramos que la tripulación de las tres embarcaciones sufrió desaparición forzada por parte de fuerza militar extranjera. Además es altamente preocupante el total hermetismo, inacción y silencio de las autoridades del Gobierno Nacional frente a este fenómeno de grave vulneración de Derechos Humanos de pescadores artesanales de Manabí. Testimonios. EMBARCACIÓN NEGRA FRANCISCA DUARTE HERNAN FLORES Mi nombre es Hernán Flores. Soy el capitán de la embarcación Negra Francisca Duarte. He desempeñado este rol por unos veinte años. Soy habitante de San Mateo y la embarcación pertenece a mi padre. Salimos a faenas el 2 de marzo. La revisión de rutina El martes 17 de marzo, a las cinco de la mañana, nos abordó la guardacosta LG-30 de Galápagos para una inspección de rutina, estábamos a unas 170 millas de las islas, todavía en aguas ecuatorianas, territorio donde nosotros podemos trabajar. Ese tipo de controles los hemos tenido antes; es algo normal. Cuando la guardacosta encuentra un barco, revisan la pesca y verifican que no haya nada ilegal. Gracias a Dios, todo estaba bien. A las ocho de la mañana ellos se retiraron y nosotros continuamos nuestro rumbo 110 hacia el puerto de Manta. Los drones Cerca de la una y media de la tarde, mientras yo estaba en la cabina de mando, los muchachos que estaban en la cubierta me alertaron: "Capitán, ahí viene un dron". Vieron dos drones que traían unos tubitos colgando. Yo les respondí que no podíamos hacer nada y que siguiéramos el rumbo, pensando que eran solo drones de filmación y que no sabíamos que podían traer bombas. En ese momento ocurrió el impacto: una explosión tan fuerte que nos dejó los oídos zumbando. Los drones impactaron atrás, en la popa y en la cabina. Un dron incluso pasó por la ventana y cayó en la cubierta; era un aparato de cuatro alitas y un tubo en medio. En total fueron dos drones y un mini avión de observación con dos aletas que nos siguió mientras nos dirigíamos al barco azul. Mi sobrino Jordi Bajé la marcha del barco y salí. Vi que a Jordi le había caído el techo encima; el dron había pasado justo a su lado. Como él es alto, el impacto le cortó profundamente; se le veía el hueso y tenía la cara partida, además de las quemaduras. No dejaba de gritar por su pie destrozado. Los muchachos agarraron los extinguidores, pero las llamas se extendían rápido. Algunos se lanzaron al agua por el susto. Llevábamos cuatro fibras de pesca, de las cuales logramos jalar dos para recoger a todos, tanto a los que estaban en el mar como a los que seguían en el barco. En una fibra íbamos ocho personas y en la otra los ocho restantes. Quise agarrar el dron cuando la lancha nos fue a rescatar, porque quería tener la prueba, pero me dio miedo que explotara. Además, estoy seguro de que, si lo hubiéramos tomado, los gringos nos lo habrían quitado. Una vez a salvo, procedimos a buscar aquel barco azul. Mientras navegábamos, un mini-avión de observación nos seguía desde el cielo; manteníamos la mirada fija en él por temor a que nos lanzara otra bomba. Cuando finalmente alcanzamos el barco, notamos que nunca nos auxilió ni mostró intención de ayudarnos; al contrario, parecía cambiar de rumbo para alejarse. Tardamos unos cuarenta minutos en alcanzarlos. El barco gringo Al acercarnos con el herido, vimos a varios gringos apuntándonos con armas. Nos gritaban "manos arriba" en español, pues utilizaban traductores. Yo fui el primero en subir; me esposaron con las manos atrás, me pusieron una funda en la cabeza y me llevaron a la parte superior del barco. Nos fueron sentando uno por uno en la cubierta. Como los muchachos iban descalzos y el piso era de puro fierro caliente por el sol, nos tiraban agua en los pies. Alrededor de las tres de la tarde nos dieron una botella de agua y el barco comenzó a navegar. Al amanecer del miércoles, nos bajaron a todos. Nunca nos preguntaron qué había pasado ni qué accidente hubo, solo nuestros nombres. Recuerdo que uno de los compañeros lloraba y se quejaba; cuando intenté hablarle, nos ordenaron hacer silencio. A mi sobrino Jordi lo dejaron abajo para atenderlo, pero a otro compañero que estaba quemado no lo asistieron; él durmió con nosotros en el piso y al día siguiente su camisa estaba pegada a las ampollas de las quemaduras. Yo también tenía un golpe en la cabeza con sangre y solo me echaron agua. Andaba con muchos mareos por los golpes que tenía. Durante la navegación pasamos mucho frío; nos caía agua en el barco y nos tenían a todos amontonados en un solo sitio en la proa. Los muchachos solamente iban en pantaloneta. Había compañeros con lesiones en la cabeza, otros con quemaduras, y uno que estaba todo morado por los golpes. Otro compañero, al momento de jalar una fibra, se cayó y se lastimó tanto que no podía dormir; tenía que hacerlo de lado o sentado. Dormíamos en el piso, en una zona que tenía como piedritas; estábamos con las esposas puestas y nos virábamos de lado por el frío. El error que no reconocieron Jordi nos contó después que, mientras lo atendían abajo, vio a los gringos discutiendo frente a un pizarrón donde tenían dibujado un barquito y dos drones. Cuando él les dijo que la guardacosta ecuatoriana ya nos había revisado esa misma mañana, los gringos se rascaron la cabeza y empezaron a insultarse entre ellos, echándole la culpa a uno de ellos que era gordito. Se dieron cuenta del error porque ellos no nos investigaron antes de atacar; simplemente nos detuvieron y nos obligaron a guardar silencio. Pero aun así nos mantuvieron encapuchados y sin comida. A las seis de la tarde de esa misma tarde, pasó cerca de nosotros el barco Solavis, donde andaba un sobrino mío. Él logró tomar fotos del barco incendiándose y de las lanchas. Había una lancha que parecía haber sido bombardeada y lograron recuperar un motor. En ese video están las coordenadas exactas del incendio. Esa noche mi sobrino envió los videos por internet y la gente comenzó a especular. Nuestros familiares estaban desesperados porque pensaban que no había sobrevivientes. Los que se lavaron las manos En la mañana nos trasladaron a una lancha grande de la guardacosta salvadoreña. Los salvadoreños se sorprendieron porque no les entregaron evidencias; solo nos entregaron como náufragos. El nombre del barco gringo era Atlantis, algo como Atlantis Ocean o Splin, no estoy seguro. Pero la guardacosta salvadoreña lo sabe bien porque ellos mismos nos entregaron a ellos. Eran militares gringos; usaban uniformes como de color café y tenían armas. Los salvadoreños sí nos preguntaron qué había pasado y nos dieron comida y agua durante los ocho días que duró el trayecto hasta El Salvador. Llegamos a El Salvador el lunes a las diez y media de la noche. Fue entonces cuando informaron que éramos náufragos y mi familia en San Mateo se enteró por las noticias a la madrugada. Llegamos a un lugar llamado Puerto Unión, en El Salvador. Desde allí, la policía nos llevó en un viaje de cuatro horas en bus hasta la ciudad de San Salvador. Nos investigaron para ver si teníamos antecedentes y comprobaron que somos ecuatorianos de San Mateo y Manta. En El Salvador las leyes son muy estrictas; el proceso fue rápido y nos enviaron a migración porque necesitábamos un salvoconducto de emergencia para el viaje de regreso. Rechazamos totalmente las declaraciones del ministro de Defensa. Si ellos tienen tanta tecnología, ¿por qué nos bombardearon? ¿Por qué no nos llamaron por radio o se acercaron? ¿Cómo puede una guardacosta gringa entregarnos a El Salvador sin ninguna evidencia, solo con la palabra ‘’náufragos’’? Si estuviéramos en algo ilegal, nos habrían llevado a la base de Galápagos, que estaba más cerca. Simplemente se lavaron las manos. El otro muchacho, mi sobrino Jordi, aún sigue hospitalizado en el Rodríguez Zambrano. Lo peor es que no han tenido ninguna asistencia de salud pública; los familiares mismos están cubriendo todos los gastos de las medicinas porque el hospital no les ha ayudado en nada. Se le veía el hueso y todo, era algo feísimo. CARMEN ESPINOZA Mi nombre es Carmen Espinoza. Soy manicurista y esposa de uno de los tripulantes de la embarcación Negra Francisca Duarte que fueron atacados en alta mar. Mi esposo lleva treinta años en la pesca. Esta es la primera vez que nos sucede algo semejante. La noche en la Capitanía Nos enteramos de lo sucedido el martes 17 de marzo. Mi compañera se acercó a la Capitanía alrededor de las diez de la noche para pedir respuestas, porque ya circulaban videos en redes sociales. Yo no pude asistir en ese momento porque tengo una niña pequeña de un año y vivo en Jaramijó, lo que dificultaba mi salida a esa hora. Ella me informó que estuvo allí hasta las tres de la mañana y no recibió ninguna respuesta; de hecho, los funcionarios nunca abrieron la puerta y los familiares permanecieron a la intemperie toda la madrugada. Al día siguiente me acerqué desde las diez y media de la mañana hasta las dos de la tarde, pero tampoco hubo respuesta alguna. Las condolencias que nadie pidió El jueves 19 de marzo, el Comandante Criollo se limitó a dar sus más sinceras condolencias en una rueda de prensa, alegando públicamente que los tripulantes estaban en aguas internacionales con sustancias ilícitas. Sin embargo, ese mismo día tuvo una reunión privada con un familiar de cada tripulante donde pidió disculpas, admitiendo que se había equivocado con la ubicación al no percatarse de que la información de su teléfono era errada. Nosotros exigimos una disculpa pública, porque detrás de cada tripulante hay familias e hijos, y no es justo que se deduzcan cosas sin fundamentos. Prometió darla en una rueda de prensa y nunca lo hizo. De hecho, se enojó cuando se le recordó su promesa. Cabe recalcar que a las cuatro de la madrugada del 17 de marzo, ellos ya habían sido abordados por guardacostas de San Cristóbal. No tenían nada ilegal; venían de regreso a casa con su pesca. Queremos una explicación de por qué el comandante dio esa versión si en la Capitanía debe existir el registro de San Cristóbal que confirma que venían sin novedades. ¿Por qué fueron bombardeados a las dos de la tarde? ¿Cuáles fueron los motivos? Hasta el momento no tenemos respuestas. Lo que mi marido vivió Mi marido cuenta que cuando los capturaron los americanos, él tenía una lesión muy grave en el pie y no podía caminar. Aun así, lo maniató con las manos hacia atrás. Cuando pidieron ayuda, los pasaron hacia adelante, pero les cubrieron el rostro con un saco, como de harina. Mi marido dice que, debido al intenso dolor en su pie, intentaba moverse, y por eso le golpearon la cabeza unas tres veces para obligarlo a no mirar hacia arriba, donde estaba la bandera de los americanos. Eso es una violación flagrante a sus derechos. Era el primer viaje de mi esposo en esa embarcación específica; el esposo de mi amiga llevaba unos dos o tres viajes. Pero siempre han estado vinculados a las faenas de pesca; es el trabajo de toda su vida. Ocho días en la oscuridad Pasaron ocho días exactos desde el incidente hasta que supimos con exactitud dónde estaban. Nos enteramos por las fuerzas de El Salvador; ellos lo hicieron público y lo subieron a Facebook. Fue por ese medio que supimos, porque por parte de la Capitanía de aquí jamás recibimos información, ni siquiera tenían un número de contacto. Incluso la Capitanía salvadoreña puso un número en Facebook al que nosotros simplemente llamamos. Cuando vimos la noticia en redes, el alma nos regresó al cuerpo al saber que, gracias a Dios, estaban vivos. Después, el capitán de aquí salió en una rueda de prensa como si él hubiera gestionado todo, cuando en realidad no hizo nada. Las marchas y los plantones Creamos un grupo para coordinar acciones en la Capitanía. Hicimos carteles con fotos de nuestros esposos, marchas y un plantón. Desde San Mateo nos apoyaron con dos autobuses, pero el Comandante nunca dio la cara y se mantuvo siempre a puerta cerrada. Incluso cuando permitían entrar a los periodistas, no nos informaban nada a nosotros como familiares. De las acciones legales se encargó el abogado. Nosotros nos enfocamos en realizar las marchas, los plantones y el reclamo público directamente en la Comandancia. Fue una reclamación constante por la poca y mala respuesta que recibimos. Lo que el Estado no hizo La Cancillería salvadoreña no hizo nada referente a los pasajes; eso lo proporcionaron los dueños de la embarcación. Se habló de poner un vuelo humanitario para los tripulantes afectados, pero eso jamás se dio. Como los familiares aquí queríamos el regreso inmediato de nuestros parientes, el dueño ayudó con la compra de los vuelos. Empezaron a retornar unos cinco días después de las publicaciones en redes sociales. Regresaron primero los que estaban bien. En ese lapso de cinco días sí tuvimos comunicación con ellos gracias a la Cancillería de El Salvador; había un intermediario, un funcionario salvadoreño, que nos facilitaba el vínculo telefónico para hablar con nuestros familiares. No llegaron el mismo día: fueron llegando por grupos, primero tres, luego cinco, después otros ocho. Mi esposo llegó cinco días después de que logramos esa comunicación. No realizan ningún tipo de ayuda; ellos son vulnerables en el mar, esa es la realidad. Se están violando sus derechos y nosotros exigimos respuestas, porque no es posible que el Capitán de la Capitanía diga que son unos delincuentes cuando no tiene bases ni fundamentos. Luego, tras dos días, hablan de un rescate cuando ellos jamás hicieron nada; ni siquiera tuvieron la delicadeza o la empatía de darnos una esperanza. Nos preguntamos qué seguridad hay para que vuelvan a salir a sus faenas si el Estado ecuatoriano y la Capitanía no hacen nada para respaldarlos. EMBARCACIÓN MACA JOHN SEBASTIAN PALACIOS Mi nombre es John Sebastián Palacios. Salimos a pescar el 18 de marzo del 2026 desde San Mateo, en la embarcación Don Maca. Navegamos ocho días en alta mar. Somos pescadores, no delincuentes, y lo que nos pasó no debería haberle ocurrido a nadie. La patrulla nos seguía A los siete u ocho días ya divisamos la patrulla. Nos siguió una noche entera mientras pescábamos, y la verdad es que sentimos preocupación porque los gringos nos andaban siguiendo. Simplemente nos dedicamos a pescar. Hicimos el primer cale y al día siguiente recogimos la pesca en la mañana. En ese primer cale sacamos 160 piezas entre picudo, albacoras y tollos; ya habíamos llenado casi un winche. Siempre hemos usado esa ruta de pesca. El ataque A las cuatro de la tarde, yo estaba en la bodega acomodando el pescado cuando oímos dos detonaciones. Una impactó en la parte de atrás, volando el tanque del combustible. Si el impacto hubiera sido una cuarta más arriba, no estaríamos aquí para contarlo porque todos los cilindros habrían explotado ahí. De ahí vino el otro tiro, más o menos por donde tenemos la comunicación. Un compañero que estaba ahí resultó afectado; ahora tiene un daño psicológico y problemas en el ojo y en el oído, ha perdido casi toda la audición. Se llama Erick Fabricio Coello Saltos, de 27 años. Hay otro compañero más que ha quedado parcialmente sordo de un oído. Ellos, en vez de atacarnos, ¿por qué no llamaron al barco? Tienen radio y pudieron decir: "¿Saben qué? Pasa esto, vamos a revisar el barco". Pero no, ellos nos atacaron sin previo aviso. Esposados y encapuchados Al ver a los gringos que daban vueltas, salimos a cubierta. Hay un video donde aparezco con una camisa blanca haciendo señas mientras la patrulla se acercaba. Era una patrulla azul, la Trans-Oceanic; tenía tres contenedores grandes atrás. Hicimos señales para que se acercara. Se acercó poco a poco y de lejos nos indicaron que saliera uno. Fuimos el capitán, mi persona y otro tripulante hacia allá. Nos preguntaron cuántos éramos y respondimos que veinte. Preguntaron si había heridos y confirmamos que uno. Dijeron: "Vengan para acá todos". Nosotros fuimos hacia ellos en la lancha. Al ir subiendo, nos fueron esposando y encapuchando a todos. Después de que nos encapucharon, hicieron dos tiros más al barco. Tras media hora, hundieron la embarcación. Teníamos tanto miedo que no nos atrevíamos ni a buscar los teléfonos para grabar, pensando que si hacíamos un movimiento en falso nos dispararían de nuevo. Estábamos todos en la borda, listos para lanzarnos al agua con pomas si daban un tiro más. Fueron los drones primero y luego la embarcación gringa. El barco todavía estaba a flote cuando nosotros subimos a las naves de ellos; fue en ese momento, después de que nos sacaron y nos encapucharon, cuando atacaron la embarcación y las lanchas para hundirlas. Había dos drones pequeños y uno más grande vigilando. Con su tecnología y radares, ellos tenían una visual completa de nosotros y sabían perfectamente que estábamos pescando de forma legal. Ocho días en el Pacífico Navegamos más o menos hasta las doce de la noche y nos pasaron a otra patrulla, una salvadoreña. Cuando llegó esa patrulla, pensamos que nos iban a matar porque estábamos esposados y caminábamos hacia la orilla. Al sacarnos la capucha, los otros compañeros estaban asustados porque nos apuntaban. El capitán de la patrulla salvadoreña nos dijo: "Bueno muchachos, por el bien de ustedes y de mi tripulación, vamos a tener que esposarlos". Dormimos la noche esposados y así estuvimos ocho días hasta llegar a El Salvador. Dormíamos arriba en la cubierta, recibiendo sol y agua. Nos daban de comer una o dos veces al día. Allá fuimos a dar declaraciones. Fue entonces cuando nuestras familias se enteraron de que estábamos vivos gracias a la compañera que tomó la foto, porque mientras estábamos en la patrulla preguntábamos si habían dado aviso y nos decían que sí, que ya le habían comunicado a la Marina del Ecuador, pero nunca pasaron información ni fotos. EMBARCACIÓN FIORELLA EDUARDAS MORERA ESPINAL Mi nombre es Eduardo Morera Espinal. Soy el dueño de la embarcación Fiorella. Mi historia con la pesca comenzó cuando tenía quince años, junto a mi padre, que fue capitán y armador. El barco Fiorella nunca había tenido un incidente en su historia. La señal que se perdió Hasta antes de que salieran, manteníamos contacto con ellos porque llevaban internet. Hablaba con el capitán y con el maquinista sin ningún inconveniente; ellos contestaban y me decían que no tenían ninguna falla, que iban a su faena de pesca para capturar pulpos. Navegaron unos tres o cuatro días hasta llegar a la zona donde iban a pescar, alcanzando la posición 85 y la 012 Sur. Un día antes del incidente se les había dañado el internet, pero igualmente, por el tema de los piratas, siempre llevan un teléfono satelital. Yo monitoreaba el barco todos los días a través de la computadora. El chip de rastreo funciona como el de los carros nuevos. Ese día vi que la señal marcó hasta la una del mediodía del lunes. Me asusté porque, cuando algo así ocurre, ellos suelen llamar inmediatamente para avisar de cualquier falla. Como el capitán sabía que yo lo monitoreaba, el hecho de que no me respondiera me hizo sentir desesperado. Fui a la casa de la esposa del maquinista y luego a la del papá del capitán para conversarles; finalmente, tomamos la decisión con mi esposa de ir a la Capitanía para dar el parte, porque un barco no desaparece así de un momento a otro. Dejamos los escritos y la denuncia en la Capitanía, pero al día siguiente, al no ver ninguna reacción, fuimos también a la Fiscalía con un abogado para poner la denuncia formal. Los días anteriores al ataque Unos tres días antes de que esto pasara, el capitán le avisó a su esposa que los estaba siguiendo una patrulla y un dron les daba vueltas. Era casi el mismo caso de las otras embarcaciones. El capitán también me mandó un mensaje diciendo que la patrulla lo seguía mucho, pero que iba a seguir con el rumbo, tal como hicieron los demás capitanes; pensaba que si los paraban o abordaban, no habría problema porque no tenían nada ilegal y simplemente andaban pescando. Al día siguiente la patrulla se alejó, pero el dron continuó siguiéndolos. Las lanchas y lo que vieron Una vez en las coordenadas de pesca, procedieron a abrir las lanchas. Abrieron dos: mientras una parte de la gente que pescaba en el barco, una lancha caló el espinel (práctica de colocación de línea de anzuelos para pesca) al lado de la nave y la otra lo hizo más lejos, hacia la parte de tierra. Quedaron en encontrarse con el capitán al día siguiente en una posición específica para entregar su pesca, pero el barco nunca llegó. Los tripulantes de la lancha alcanzaron a visualizar a lo lejos algo que botaba humo negro y oscuro, pero pensaron que tal vez era algún barco mercante que pasaba por ahí, ya que la nave no había mostrado ninguna señal de daño previamente. Se quedaron toda esa noche esperando en la posición acordada y, al ver que el barco no llegaba, fueron a buscar el espinel de la nave. Lo encontraron. El espinel es el arte de pesca que consiste en un carrete de piola muy largo que lleva un anzuelo encarnado cada treinta o treinta y dos brazadas. Encontraron el espinel, se amarraron a la punta de la bandera y esperaron hasta la noche del día siguiente, pero el barco jamás apareció. Se imaginaron que algo malo había pasado. No se acercaron antes hacia allá porque no tenían suficiente gasolina, así que les tocó arriesgarse y navegar hacia tierra. En el camino encontraron un barco que les prestó los primeros auxilios y les dio comida. A través de ese capitán hablaron con el dueño, quien luego me llamó para decirme que habían encontrado una de las lanchas del barco. Yo me sorprendí mucho porque el capitán y el maquinista eran personas muy responsables; era algo muy raro que se hubiera perdido la lancha del barco. Cuando llegaron los dos tripulantes que se salvaron, confirmaron que la patrulla y el dron los venían siguiendo, y que aunque la patrulla se separó, el dron se mantuvo allí hasta que ellos se abrieron para pescar y perdieron de vista el barco. Con mucho sacrificio y préstamos habíamos construido ese barco. Estábamos trabajando muy bien. JOHNNY VALENCIA Mi nombre es Johnny Valencia. Soy pescador de Jaramijó, en la provincia de Manabí. Empecé en el oficio desde los ocho años y tengo cincuenta y dos años en el mar. Soy capitán encargado de barco con unos veinticinco años de experiencia. Desde el 20 de enero no sé nada de mi hijo Juan Carlos, capitán de la embarcación Fiorella. Salieron el 13 de enero del 2026 y el incidente ocurrió exactamente a la una de la tarde de ese martes 20 de enero. La embarcación Fiorella La Fiorella es una embarcación pequeña, de unos quince metros de largo por cinco de ancho; mucho más pequeña que el Don Maca o la Negra Francisca. Salieron con diez tripulantes. Mi hijo andaba como capitán. Tenían dos lanchas desprendidas: una hacia el norte y la otra hacia el este, a unas quince millas. Había dos personas en cada lancha y seis se habían quedado a bordo de la Fiorella. Estaban parqueados, como se dice, porque habían calado el espinel (práctica de colocación de línea de anzuelos para pesca). La última comunicación Hablé con mi hijo a las ocho y media de la mañana del martes 20 de enero de 2026 por teléfono satelital y le pregunté cómo estaban las cosas. Me dijo: "Padre, las cosas están bien; lo único es que nos han andado siguiendo drones y patrullas". Pero como andaban trabajando tranquilos, nunca pensamos en lo que iba a pasar. Eso fue lo último que supe de él. Se terminó el saldo del internet satelital poco después, y el mensaje que me envió con su ubicación fue porque le andaban siguiendo los drones. Los drones que venían siguiéndolos Antes, la presencia de patrullas y drones era usual pero distinta. La patrulla solo daba una vuelta, los revisaba y se iba. Los drones y aviones solo pasaban. Pero esta vez fue diferente: desde los días 17, 18 y 19 de enero les estuvieron dando vueltas. Inclusive una guardacosta ecuatoriana llegó a estar a solo una milla de distancia de ellos. El día 20 de enero, a la una de la tarde, fue el ataque. A esa hora se perdió totalmente la señal del chip de rastreo. Incluso el dueño del barco me llamó para decirme que ya no tenían señal, y aunque pensamos que podía ser una falla, nunca había pasado algo así. La lancha que se encontraba al este llamó por radio desesperado tres veces: "¡Capitán, capitán!", pero se perdió la comunicación también con la otra lancha del norte. Aguas nacionales, no internacionales Son puras aguas nacionales, señor. Es territorio ecuatoriano; estamos frente al puerto de Manta. Ellos se encontraban aproximadamente en las coordenadas 85 05 y 012 Sur, lo que equivale a unas 240 o 250 millas de la costa. En la Capitanía dijeron que ellos tenían otras coordenadas y que estában en aguas internacionales. Yo le dije al Capitán del Puerto que no, que las coordenadas que ellos manejaban no eran internacionales. Tal vez pensó que yo no conocía, pero yo también soy capitán y sé que estábamos en aguas nacionales. Tengo como veinticinco años de experiencia; sé dónde está Ecuador, dónde está Perú y dónde está Colombia. Si fuera internacional, tendría que haber sido una patrulla colombiana, no una americana. Los dos sobrevivientes En el caso del Fiorella no tenemos una evidencia física como la de la Negra Francisca, pero sí tenemos los testigos que vieron cómo el barco humeaba. Son dos sobrevivientes que andaban en la fibra "Primer Mandamiento"; uno se llama Ignacio y del otro desconozco el nombre. Estaban calados hacia el este y, aproximadamente a la una de la tarde del 20 de enero, divisaron una humareda hacia el oeste, en la dirección donde se encontraba la Fiorella. Se quedaron jalando el espinel hasta cerca de las siete de la noche, esperando que la Fiorella llegara a recogerlos como era rutina, pero la embarcación nunca apareció. Se mantuvieron en la zona durante el día siguiente y revisaron unas tres o cuatro millas a la redonda, pero no encontraron rastro alguno. Decidieron navegar hacia el puerto y, en el trayecto, se encontraron con otra embarcación que finalmente los trajo a tierra. Fue entonces cuando supimos de lo ocurrido y ellos procedieron a dar su testimonio tanto en la Capitanía como en la Fiscalía. El Capitán del Puerto cuestiona de forma absurda el testimonio de uno de ellos. Al llegar al puerto, ese tripulante no recordaba el nombre exacto de la fibra en la que andaba y le preguntó a su compañero, anotándolo en un papel: "Primer Mandamiento". Cuando estaba rindiendo su versión oficial, consultó el papel para precisar el nombre, y el Capitán del Puerto alegó que el testimonio no era válido porque "estaba leyendo lo que iba a decir". Es un argumento totalmente ilógico y fuera de lugar. Maldad que no tiene nombre No estamos satisfechos con la respuesta de la Capitanía porque no nos ayudan. En la Capitanía no nos dicen lo que debe ser ni nos dan respuestas claras. Lo que les pasó a la Negra Francisca Duarte y al Don Maca tiene que haberle pasado a la embarcación Fiorella; de hecho, ellos fueron los primeros en ser atacados. Lo que queremos, es que estén con vida o en cualquier cárcel, pero que por favor los regresen. Antes Manta había sido un lugar con presencia de Estados Unidos, hace unos quince años, durante el Plan Colombia. En ese entonces esa presencia también dejó casos de ataques a pescadores y hundimiento de naves. En esos años, imagínese cuántos barcos y cuántas embarcaciones se perdieron. Nosotros nos dedicamos a la pesca, somos personas pobres y ellos vienen a hacernos un mal aquí al Ecuador cuando nosotros no le hacemos daño a nadie. Hubo una consulta popular donde dijimos que no queríamos bases militares estadounidenses, pero prácticamente el voto de los ecuatorianos no vale, porque aunque la mayoría dijo que no, igual están aquí. Ya tienen muchos años aquí, lo que pasa es que no atacaban como están atacando ahorita. MARIA MERO Mi nombre es María Mero. Tengo a mi esposo y a mi hermano en la embarcación Fiorella. No tenemos noticias de ellos desde el 20 de enero, cuando desaparecieron. Ya son tres meses. Tres meses de silencio Desde que desaparecieron no se han comunicado. No entendemos por qué se los llevan sin darnos información. Lo único que queremos es que los devuelvan. Si alguna patrulla los tiene o están presos, que nos lo hagan saber y los entreguen, porque ellos son pescadores. Son inocentes y no andaban haciendo nada malo. Estamos sufriendo todos por esto. Pedimos que se apiaden de nosotros, porque hay niños que necesitan a sus padres. Los ocho pescadores que están retenidos necesitan a sus familias y nosotros también los necesitamos a ellos. Esta experiencia ha sido muy dolorosa; estamos desesperadas por no saber de ellos. Queremos saber dónde los tienen. Los queremos de regreso con vida porque la incertidumbre es insoportable. Los que quedamos esperando Tengo una niña pequeña que llora por su papá. El padre de mi esposo está enfermo. La mamá de mi esposo acaba de fallecer. El padre sufre de diabetes. Y mi hermano también está desaparecido. Es una situación desesperante para nosotros. Las autoridades no nos han ayudado; nos han dejado a un lado. No tenemos conocimiento de que se haya realizado ninguna búsqueda real. Cuando hemos ido a la Capitanía exigiendo información, no nos dan nada. Ya ha pasado antes Ya han ocurrido casos similares anteriormente aquí en Jaramijó, hace tiempo, pero se habían detenido. Sin embargo, desde el mes de enero han vuelto a hacer lo mismo con los pescadores. Creemos que la patrulla hizo lo mismo que con las otras embarcaciones: los atacaron y se los llevaron. Así como se los llevaron, exigimos que los retornen. Si están presos o bajo custodia de una patrulla, exigimos que los regresen. Los queremos de regreso con vida. Le pedimos directamente al presidente Daniel Noboa y al presidente de los Estados Unidos que, por favor, dondequiera que los tengan, los devuelvan. Son pescadores inocentes y ya han pasado tres meses. MARÍA CUEVA Mi nombre es María Cueva. Mi hijo Jefferson Mera Cueva tiene veinticinco años y lleva casi diez en la pesca; empezó cuando tenía dieciséis. Salió a faenas el 13 de enero y desde el 20 de ese mes no ha regresado. Era el pilar de nuestra casa. El pilar de la casa Actualmente no hago nada. Mi hijo era quien trabajaba para el sustento de todos nosotros. Su papá está enfermo; padece de diabetes e hipertensión. Desde que no está, la estamospasando muy mal. Lo único que pido es que mi hijo regrese o que, dondequiera que lo tengan, me den una comunicación o una llamada para saber que está con vida. Eso es lo que le pido a Dios, que me ayude a encontrarlo. Nunca antes Jefferson había tenido incidentes de este tipo. Es la primera vez. Salió a faenas de pesca y ya no regresó. Las puertas cerradas Hemos ido a la Capitanía, pero nos cierran la puerta y no nos atienden. El Capitán Diego Criollo se niega a recibirnos; siempre dice que está ocupado y que hay que sacar cita para que lo atienda a uno. Esto pasó por los meses de enero y febrero. Éramos varias familias las que fuimos; yo subí la última vez. Lo que nos dijo la Capitanía es que ellos ya habían cerrado el caso. Alegaron que ya estaban muertos y que fuéramos a hablar con el dueño para que nos diera la indemnización porque ya no iban a volver. Eso fue lo que nos dijo el Capitán del Puerto. Pero nosotros mantenemos la esperanza de que ellos regresarán. Las palabras del Capitán nos causaron mucho dolor; en lugar de ayudarnos, parece que quiere desanimarnos o entristecernos para que dejemos de buscarlos. En vez de darnos apoyo, nos dio la espalda. Estoy segura de que él no ha mandado a buscar a nadie. El espinel y lo que encontraron El dueño del barco fue quien envió una embarcación privada a buscarlos después de que se perdieron. Hallaron el espinel del barco en el lugar donde se encontraba la nave. El espinel es el arte de pesca, donde ellos pescan. Por eso estoy segura de que a la Fiorella le pasó lo mismo que a los otros barcos; fue la primera embarcación a la que le hicieron eso. Estoy convencida de que ellos mismos fueron. Si se encontró el espinel en ese lugar, debieron investigar si el barco estaba hundido o enviar buzos. Pero no tenemos información de que eso se haya hecho. Mientras no aparezcan los cuerpos Mientras no aparezcan los cuerpos, nosotros seguiremos reclamándolos con vida. Solamente pedimos que los devuelvan, que vuelvan ya, porque estamos desesperados. Como madre ya no como ni duermo; no sé ni qué hacer. Mi esposo está enfermo y los niños también. Siento que quiero morir por esta situación. Comité de las Desapariciones Forzadas de la ONU El 8 de abril del 2026 en CDH envió solicitud al Comité de las Desapariciones Forzadas de la ONU para la emisión de una Acción Urgente por la desaparición de la tripulación de pescadores de la embarcación ecuatoriana Fiorella de la comunidad de Jaramijó en Manabi. En el pedido, el CDH señala que: El 13 de enero de 2026, diez pescadores provenientes de Jaramijó y uno de Manta salieron a faena pesquera a bordo del barco nodriza “Fiorella”. La presunta desaparición de la embarcación se habría registrado la noche del 20 de enero de 2026, sin que hasta la fecha se haya informado oficialmente sobre el paradero de ocho. Existen dos sobrevivientes. Con posterioridad, familiares de los ocho pescadores se trasladaron hasta los exteriores de la Capitanía del Puerto de Manta, donde solicitaron información a las autoridades navales sobre la situación de la embarcación y sus tripulantes. En ese lugar, exigieron la continuación de las labores de búsqueda y el impulso de las investigaciones por parte de la Fiscalía, a fin de esclarecer lo ocurrido. Sin embargo no han tenido respuestas hasta ahora. Contexto sobre desapariciones previas atribuidas a personal militar estadounidense: En la provincia de Manabí, principalmente en las comunas cercanas a la costa, se han reportado varios incidentes de desapariciones y ataques a embarcaciones pesqueras. El más reciente, ocurrido en marzo de 2026, corresponde a la embarcación “Don Maca”. Los pescadores de la embarcación “Don Maca” regresaron a la ciudad de Manta luego de haber permanecido en altamar, tras un incidente ocurrido el 26 de marzo de 2026. La embarcación había zarpado desde Manta el 17 de marzo con 20 personas a bordo. Según los testimonios de los tripulantes, durante su permanencia en altamar fueron interceptados por una embarcación estadounidense. Relataron que, al acercarse, fueron abordados uno a uno, esposados y encapuchados. En ese contexto, indicaron que uno de los pescadores resultó herido. Señalan que la embarcación “Don Maca” y las lanchas auxiliares fueron bombardeadas y posteriormente hundidas, acción que atribuyen a personal militar extranjero. Los pescadores manifestaron que, tras estos hechos, fueron trasladados por quienes los interceptaron y posteriormente entregados a personal de la Marina de El Salvador. Desde ese país, fueron receptados por las autoridades correspondientes y luego repatriados a Ecuador. A su retorno, varios de los tripulantes fueron sometidos a evaluaciones médicas y psicológicas. De manera paralela, hasta la fecha no existe pronunciamiento oficial por parte de las autoridades ecuatorianas sobre los hechos denunciados. Distintas instituciones, incluyendo la Armada del Ecuador, el Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas, el Ministerio de Defensa, la Cancillería y la Embajada de Estados Unidos, fueron consultadas sin obtener respuesta. Recomendaciones del Comité contra la Desaparición Forzada sobre las Acciones Urgentes Establecer una estrategia integral que incluya un plan de acción y un cronograma para la búsqueda inmediata de los ocho pescadores desaparecidos y para la investigación exhaustiva e imparcial de sus alegadas desapariciones. Asegurar que dicha estrategia cumpla con los requisitos de la debida diligencia en cada una de las etapas del proceso de búsqueda, incluyendo oficiosidad, inmediatez y exhaustividad de la investigación. Asegurar que la estrategia adoptada tome en cuenta todas las hipótesis investigativas existentes en el caso, incluso la posibilidad de que los hechos en referencia constituyan una desaparición forzada debido al alegado involucramiento de agentes estatales. En esta perspectiva, el Comité recuerda las alegaciones e información reunidas en el contexto de las presentes acciones urgentes, según las cuales las alegadas desapariciones, habrían ocurrido en un contexto en el que existirían acuerdos de cooperación en materia de seguridad y defensa entre Ecuador y los Estados Unidos de América, que permiten la presencia y actuación de personal militar extranjero en determinados contextos. Además, según las alegaciones recibidas, distintas embarcaciones pesqueras habrían sido atacadas o desaparecidas en la costa de la provincia de Manabí, con la presunta vinculación de personal militar extranjero sin que se hayan adoptado medidas para prevenir y erradicar este tipo de hechos. Garantizar que la estrategia adoptada determine las acciones a realizar para buscar y localizar, investigar sus alegadas desapariciones e identificar a los perpetradores en vista de todas las hipótesis existentes de manera integrada, eficiente y coordinada, contando con los recursos materiales necesarios y el personal adecuadamente capacitado para localizar a las personas desaparecidas. Realizar el escrutinio a profundidad de las redes telefónicas con el objetivo de identificar potenciales localizaciones, registros de llamadas y contenidos recibidos y generados (ejemplo: fotos, mensajes, etc.) desde los teléfonos celulares de los ocho pescadores. Identificar a los dos pescadores que habrían zarpado junto con el grupo de los ocho pescadores desaparecidos, pero se habrían separado del grupo en el camino, recabar su declaración, e integrarla a la investigación por la desaparición de los ocho pescadores. Tomar todas las medidas que sean necesarias para proteger a los testigos, incluyendo el manejo confidencial de la información relacionada con su participación en los procesos. Buscar, recopilar y analizar los elementos probatorios vinculados con los hechos bajo consideración, garantizando su preservación y protección conforme a los principios de cadena de custodia. Establecer sin demora mecanismos de cooperación, coordinación y asistencia con las autoridades competentes de cualquier Estado que, según las alegaciones recibidas, podría estar involucrado en los hechos, incluyendo El Salvador y los Estados Unidos de América, de conformidad con los artículos 14 y 15 de la Convención, para buscar y localizar a los pescadores desaparecidos, así como investigar sus alegadas desapariciones, y asistir a las víctimas de las desapariciones en referencia. Consideraciones preliminares del CDH Las siguientes consideraciones del CDH son identificadas luego de escuchar a los sobrevivientes y familiares de los pescadores aun desaparecidos y de las reuniones de la Misión de Verificación, conformada por Billy Navarrete, Presidente y Fernando Bastias, Coordinador del Area de Protección de nuestra organización con autoridades de la Capitanía del Puerto de Manta, la Fiscalía para Personas Desaparecidas de Manta y la Delegación de la Defensoría del Pueblo de Manta realizada el 15 y 16 de abril del 2026. - Es preocupante la poco o nula reacción del Estado Ecuatoriano para investigar el hundimiento de las tres embarcaciones considerando testimonios que señalan el seguimiento y ataque de drones y patrullas de Estados Unidos. Además de las condiciones de tortura, desaparición forzadas e incomunicación prolongada durante su privación de libertad por parte de patrulla de EUA. - Es indispensable atender reclamos de dueños de embarcaciones hundidas, tripulantes sobrevivientes y familiares de desaparecidos que muestran coordenadas satelitales donde habrían ocurrido los ataques en aguas ecuatorianas mientras realizaban las rutinas de pesca. - Rechazamos el señalamiento de parte de autoridades del Gobierno Nacional de que las naves habrían estado involucradas con el tráfico ilegal transnacional realizado, a modo de excusa por los hundimientos y sin soporte, pese a que los sobreviviente se encuentran en libertad en el Ecuador sin cargo contra ellos. - No es menor la ausencia de mínimas acciones estatales, de corte humanitaria, para garantizar la repatriación de sobrevivientes desde El Salvador, los costos fueron cubierto por los dueños de las naves. Además de la atención médica de pescadores que aún se encuentran heridos. Asistencia Legal Fernando Bastías Fotos Billy Navarrete Trascripción y edición de textos Jennifer Torres y Samir Vargas. Notas de prensa relacionadas. 16 abril 2026Familias de ocho pescadores desaparecidos denuncian falta de búsqueda estatalDiario El ComercioAnte este escenario, el Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CDH) elevó el caso al Comité contra la Desaparición Forzada de la ONU, organismo que el pasado lunes exigió a Ecuador implementar acciones urgentes de localización.Nota completa: https://tinyurl.com/yffb24am 16 abril 2026Desaparición de pescadores enciende alertas y reclamos contra autoridades ecuatorianasDiario venezolano El NacionalAnte la falta de acciones concretas, el caso fue llevado al plano internacional. Fernando Bastias, del Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CDH), informó que se acudió al Comité contra la Desaparición Forzada de la ONU, el cual instó al Estado ecuatoriano a actuar con urgencia para localizar “de forma inmediata” a los desaparecidos.Nota completa: https://tinyurl.com/ye2y3d9j 16 abril 2026Comité de Derechos Humanos exige investigar desaparición del barco Fiorella en altamar frente a EcuadorPortal kchcomunicaciones.com El Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CDH) solicitó investigar la desaparición de la embarcación Fiorella, sin rastros hace casi tres meses en altamar.La organización activó una acción urgente ante el Comité contra la Desaparición Forzada de Naciones Unidas.El abogado Fernando Bastidas, representante del CDH, explicó que el organismo internacional ya emitió recomendaciones. Entre ellas, pidió establecer cooperación inmediata entre Ecuador, El Salvador y Estados Unidos para ubicar a los tripulantes.Bastidas indicó que las familias “requieren información oficial que esclarezca los hechos”, lo que hasta ahora no ocurre.Nota completa: https://tinyurl.com/4y6une3t 16 abril 2026CDH pide a la ONU investigar desaparición de la embarcación Fiorella en ManabíDiario Ultima HoraEl Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CDH) elevó una acción urgente ante el Comité contra la Desaparición Forzada de las Naciones Unidas por la desaparición del barco pesquero Fiorella, del cual no hay rastros desde el pasado 20 de enero de 2026. La organización exige que el Estado ecuatoriano establezca una cooperación inmediata con El Salvador y Estados Unidos para localizar a los tripulantes.Los abogados de las familias, Fernando Bastidas y Juan Alvía, denunciaron la falta de operativos oficiales oportunos y criticaron que las autoridades marítimas hayan insinuado, sin pruebas, vínculos con actividades ilícitas. Según testimonios, antes de perder contacto, se observaron drones sobrevolando la nave y una columna de humo negro en el horizonte. La defensa sostiene que existen indicios de una posible intervención externa, por lo que solicitan que el caso sea investigado como desaparición forzada.Nota completa: https://tinyurl.com/bdda5y7f 17 abril 2026ONU exige a Ecuador buscar a ocho pescadores desaparecidos en ManabíRadio PichinchaPor su parte, Fernando Bastias, coordinador del Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CDH) de Guayaquil, señaló que existe una “incapacidad reconocida” de la Fiscalía debido a la falta de cooperación institucional.Bastias subrayó que este no es un caso aislado, citando incidentes similares con las embarcaciones ‘Don Maca’ y ‘Negra Francisca II’, las cuales habrían sido atacadas por naves estadounidenses.Nota completa: https://tinyurl.com/p3bpwxca 21 abril 2026‘We were terrified they were going to kill us’: fishers who survived US boat strike speak outDíario británico The Guardian“Un buque estadounidense los interceptó y los obligó a subir a bordo. Una vez detenidos, su barco pesquero fue dinamitado”, declaró Fernando Bastias Robayo, abogado del Consejo de Derechos Humanos (CDH). “Les cubrieron la cara arbitrariamente y luego los abandonaron en la costa salvadoreña. Cualquier aprehensión seguida de detención incomunicada constituye una desaparición forzada.“Fue una forma de tortura psicológica, la incertidumbre sobre el futuro y el hecho de tener el rostro cubierto”, añadió.Bastias Robayo afirmó que no ha habido respuesta oficial ni de las autoridades ecuatorianas ni de las estadounidenses.Nota completa en ingles: https://tinyurl.com/2fw3k27wDescargue nota traducida por el CDH al español: https://nube.interfabu.com/s/Cr2cGWWGYKF4zpj