No Bases Network and Governments

States play an important role in the fulfillment of the No Bases Network's aims to abolish foreign bases. States as coalition partners would allow the No Bases Network to become stronger in advocating sovereignty and peace through demilitarization. Ecuadorian activists, notably the Coalicion No Bases Ecuador, has been successful in pressuring the government to halt the renewal of U.S. military stationing in Manta, Ecuador. While the U.S. has shifted its attention to Colombia to station further bases in the region, Colombian activists have activated a Colombian counterpart for the No Bases Ecuador organization (Colombia No Bases).

In addition to being the key policy gate-keeper, states can play a norm- (or agenda-) setting role in line with the No Bases Network. Viewing U.S. stationing of troops on foreign soil can be characterized and framed as a friction between countries of the Global South and the North, and an expansion of U.S. hegemony and domination in Latin America and elsewhere.

Therefore, it will be beneficial for the NO Bases Network to work more closely with states that are affected by foreign bases, or states that are not involved in or affected by the stationing of foreign bases to act as neutral players within the anti-military bases network. States can further affect agendas through international organizations, and most notably the United Nations. If the presence of foreign military bases can be more successfully framed to represent the perpetuation of war in the world, against the UN norm of global peace, the No Bases Network will be able to rely on the normative strength of their network. In addition, states within a network are more likely to coerce or convince other states to accept or expand the already existing definition of a norm.