Bangladesh, Sept. 12 -- When the Ecuadorian government inaugurated the port of Posorja in 2019, optimism filled the air. Politicians hailed the $1.2 billion deep-water facility, operated by DP World, as a leap into modernity. For decades, Ecuadors maritime infrastructure had lagged behind regional competitors. Posorjas port – fitted with scanners, biometric controls, and state-of-the-art container handling systems – was meant to change that.

The town of Posorja, with its sun-beaten streets and modest cinder block homes, was suddenly thrust into the global spotlight. Fishing boats that once brought in tuna and shrimp now docked alongside towering container vessels. Local families imagined stable jobs, improved infrastructure, ...