Daniel Noboa He assumed the presidency of Ecuador on November 23, 2023, at the age of 36. In less than two months of management, one person had to take two extreme measures security crisis in large proportions. Firstly exception statusAfter José Adolfo Macías (alias Fito) escaped from prison criminal organization Los Choneros, and Fabricio Colón Pico, leader of Los Lobos. The measure did not include drug trafficking acts that posed an unprecedented challenge to the State and population of South America’s most violent country. Prison riots, takeover of a television studio, car bombs, kidnappings and at least eight murders This Tuesday Noboa’s “ existence of internal armed conflict“This will not only give the army a strong role in the fight against 22 bands Destroying 24 provinces. The last incident was the shooting of prosecutor César Suarez, who was investigating an attack by an armed group on some television studios. as in the war with PeruIn 1995, due to a border dispute, the Armed Forces were placed center stage, although there was no guarantee of success.
How did this situation arise?
Everything has changed drastically in the South American country in just a few years. According to that Ecuadorian observatory organized crime (OECS)This country’s entry into the world of global crime is relatively new. in 2019 The trend of an increasing wave of deaths due to conflict between different criminal organizations in regions and enterprises began to be felt. The country’s murder rate per 100,000 people has increased by more than 300% in the last seven years It keeps up with the flow of cocaine and other illicit drugs along the Pacific coast.
Focusing on minor issues, local gangs established relationships first with Colombian drug groups and then with international criminal organizations among them. Mexican Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación cartels, Colombian Gulf Clan and Balkan mafia. As they expanded, they penetrated state structures. The struggle for hegemony took place not only in cities but also in prisons. There have been reports since 2021 More than 400 deaths in prisons due to conflicts between rival gangs.
Noboa won the elections on the promise of stopping the bleeding and introducing a different strategy to defeat drug trafficking. Now the situation is worse than the inherited situation. The newspaper stated that the young president faces the challenge of not becoming “Guillermo Lasso 2.0”. To express, referring to the unsuccessful policy of his predecessor.
Groups
Organized crime has become dispersed and atomized, although some gangs are more powerful and influential than others. Noboa listed 22 groups. Experts say that Los Choneros, led by Fito, You have 15,000 men under your command and smaller structures under their control, such as Las Águilas, Los Gángsters, and R-7. phyto He lived in absolute comfort in a maximum security prison in Guayaquil. It had a private bathroom, hot shower, refrigerator, triple bed and a wardrobe built into the wall. It had television and air conditioning. He drank Dom Pérignon champagne without reservation. He was able to get out of prison because he told help from police and prison guides. His escape was interpreted as a reaction to the Government’s proposal to build two mega prisons. There was also speculation that Los Choneros may have lost power in the prison network.
There would be 7,000 “little soldiers” in Los Lobos.. But in addition Noboa named others “Terrorist organizations and non-combatant state actors“: ÁguilasKiller, AK47, Caballeros Oscuros, ChoneKiller, Corvicheros, Cuartel de las Feas, Cubanos, Fatales, Kater Piler, Lagartos, Latin Kings, Los p.27, Los Tiburones, Mafia 18, Mafia Trébol, Patrones and Tiguerones.
Illegal activities in the drug business do not end. Some of these groups They are involved in arms smuggling, extortion, hitmanship, illegal mining and money laundering, It is favored by a dollarized economy and loose controls. Coastal areas such as Manabí and Santa Elena specialize in transporting drugs using fishing boats and low-performance aircraft, charging up to $30,000 for each trip. There are 54 secret runways for air traffic.
social background
The background of the nightmare from which Ecuadorians cannot wake up is clear poverty, unemployment, deterioration of labor relations and inequality in other schemes, which fuels many young people to take up crime. Experts do not hesitate to point out that there is a causal relationship between the level of crime and violence in cities and the inevitable deterioration of living conditions.
Before leaving the government, all social indicators began to suffer Rafael Correa in 2017. The earthquake that occurred in Manabi province in 2016 and Pandemic They exacerbated the difficulties by causing huge economic losses. Experts say that in years of health emergencies,The number of poor people increased from 21.9% to 25.5% in 2022. Approximately 4.6 million people They live on less than $2.9 a day. There were difficulties in accessing health, education and basic services. The sum of inequalities allowed organized crime to spread in both rural areas and cities.
What can be done in case of “internal armed conflict”?
The situation of “civil armed conflict” represents a tipping point in ways of confronting trouble. Human Rights expert Efrén Guerrero pointed out that based on this figure, confrontation with criminal groups has gained a different status, because the necessary conditions for this have been created. Full mobilization of the Armed Forces in order to regain control.
Noboa’s decree talks about this “deactivate” to groups. The interpretation of the verb has not admitted doubts. Uniformed officers are authorized. use lethal weapons It now continues its operations against not only drug trafficking groups but also terrorist organizations. However, it is accepted that human rights organizations will ask the Supreme Court to clarify the scope of this decision.
Joint Forces Command Chief Jaime Vela was strong in his message: “Every terrorist organization has become a military target”. The general vowed to act “with determination and force against any attempt at destabilization and chaos intended to be carried out on national territory.” It is not known whether Ecuador will look after itself In the mirror of El Salador regain control of cities and prisons. For now, it is already known that there are basic guarantees. residence immunity And correspondence, arrests without a court order, suspension of freedom of association and transit rights in digital formats. HE night curfew It can spread.
Government and opposition
The impact of the events of recent days, with their scenes of panic and stupor, has caused an unusual realignment of political actors. The entire opposition supported Noboa. Even former President Correa kind of said “black monsterThe government said, “Today is a time for national unity, organized crime has declared war on the State and the State must prevail and win. President Noboa, we have our full and unlimited support. Please do not give up. After the victory we will discuss our political differences“, he pronounced in exile.
At the same time, parties represented in the National Assembly (Congress) have tended to grant amnesty or general amnesty to police and military personnel who have faced fatal crime. “We work in unity, regardless of different political and ideological currents. The current situation requires cooperation and harmony. We are determined to address this challenge jointly and responsibly,” said Parliament Speaker Henry Kronfle of the Christian Social Party.