In a decision in the face of the growing wave of violence that is plaguing Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa has signed a decree officially declaring the country in “internal armed conflict.”
In this context, the president has identified several transnational organized crime groups as terrorist organizations and belligerent non-state actors, thus marking actions in the government’s response to the threat to national security.
The groups targeted in the decree include Águilas, ÁguilasKiller, Ak47, Dark Knights, ChoneKiller, Choneros, Covicheros, Cuartel de las Feas, Cubanos, Fatales, Gangster, Kater Piler, Lizards, Latin Kings, Lobos, Los p.27, Los Tiburones, Mafia 18, Mafia Trébol, Patterns, R7, Tiguerones. The president has ordered the Armed Forces to carry out military operations to neutralize these groups and restore peace and security in the country.
I have signed the executive decree declaring Internal Armed Conflict and identified the following transnational organized crime groups as terrorist organizations and belligerent non-state actors: Águilas, ÁguilasKiller, Ak47, Caballeros Oscuros, ChoneKiller,… pic.twitter.com/rVfSTFmHlG
— Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) January 9, 2024
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In the published decree, it stands out that Ecuador faces an increase in violence rates, with the penetration of organized crime into its social and institutional fabric, as well as terrorist acts that threaten the territorial security and sovereignty of the State. Emphasis is placed on the accumulation of challenges derived from the lack of effective public policies to consolidate citizen security.
Furthermore, the critical situation of the Penitentiary System, pointing out that it has been one of the critical axes in the institutional decomposition. It cites a confidential report of the Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which highlights the weaknesses and challenges in the Ecuadorian prison system.
President Noboa’s decision was solidified after a series of violent events, including the takeover of a prison by members of these criminal groups, the kidnapping of seven police officers, the escape of two dangerous bosses, attacks with explosives in the streets, the raid on a television channel during a live broadcast and violent acts against hospitals, among other actions that affected the civilian population, including admission to universities in Guayaquil.
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