Ecuador is at “war” against drug trafficking and violence, says Lasso

the president of Ecuador, William Lassosaid on Tuesday that his country is in a “war” against drug trafficking and crime, when the first month of a state of emergency decreed in the three most violent provinces is completed.

LOOK: Ecuador arrests a Peruvian criminal who faked his death

“This is a war and the only way is to win it to protect the lives of children and young Ecuadorians,” said the president during a military act in Quito.

He warned that “those who are excluded (from combat) we should simply consider as part of the threat against the Ecuadorian people.”

Lasso decreed a 60-day state of emergency in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Manabí and Esmeraldas due to the increase in drug trafficking, which has led to crimes in the streets and prison massacres that have left almost 400 inmates dead since February 2021, when they began. clashes between gangs inside the prisons.

Within the framework of the state of emergency, the president ordered the mobilization of some 9,000 uniformed personnel, including police and military. He also established a nightly curfew for certain localities.

“Today we are facing the reaction of criminal groups that have lost their territory and their profits, we harm their business and that is why they react,” added Lasso, a former right-wing banker who began his second year in office on May 24.

The narco leaves messages of terror in the once peaceful nation. Headless bodies hanging from bridges, violent robberies and car explosions have become frequent in the country.

The president, who called for the “unity of all Ecuadorians,” said that in the coming days he will meet with the 221 mayors of the country, social organizations and the academy to seek solutions to the increase in crimes linked to drug trafficking.

Ecuador – which for many years remained relatively safe from the violence of its neighbors Colombia and Peru, the world’s two largest producers of cocaine – seized a record 210 tons of drugs in 2021. So far this year, seizures have reached 90 tons, according to the police.

Likewise, violent deaths have increased. Last year the nation closed with a rate of 14 murders per 100,000 people, almost double that of 2020.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.