US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sharply criticized Mexico for what he called insufficient measures against drug cartels, warning that the threat must be addressed “one way or another.” The statement came during his visit to Ecuador, while Washington also announced the inclusion of the Ecuadorian criminal group Los Tiguerones on the US list of “foreign terrorist organizations.”
Rubio said that large parts of Mexican territory are not under effective state control and that organizations he described as "narco-terrorists" operate in these areas.
"In Mexico there are vast territories that are not governed by the state," Rubio declared, describing the situation as a serious threat to security in the region.
However, the US secretary acknowledged that the government of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has made progress in the fight against the cartels, but according to him, Mexico "is not doing enough."
Rubio did not elaborate on what he meant by warning that the threat would have to be addressed "one way or another."
On the same day, the United States announced the classification of Los Tiguerones as a "foreign terrorist organization", as part of the US administration's campaign against criminal groups and drug trafficking networks in Latin America.
"We are not talking about a typical mafia, we are not talking about criminals, we are talking about terrorists," Rubio said in Quito, describing Ecuador as a close US ally.
Ecuador, once considered one of the safest countries in Latin America, has faced a sharp increase in organized crime, drug trafficking and violence between rival groups in recent years.
Its geographical position has made Ecuador an important hub for international drug trafficking. Its ports on the Pacific Ocean and its proximity to Colombia and Peru, two of the world's leading cocaine producers, have made the country an important export hub.
According to figures cited by US authorities, around 70% of the cocaine trafficked to the United States and Europe passes through Ecuador.
Rubio is on a tour of Latin America, where after Ecuador he is expected to visit Peru, while he previously stayed in Colombia.
According to him, criminal groups in the region possess "weapons and equipment similar to those of the armies of several countries."
