Ecuadorians have voted in a referendum to take tougher action against increasing gang violence in the country. The military will also be used in the future. President Noboa celebrated the result: “We defended the country”
In a referendum, the residents of Ecuador voted for a tougher course against gang violence. An official quick count showed that participants overwhelmingly answered yes to all nine questions about tightening security measures and only rejected two suggestions about controversial economic measures. This was announced by Diana Atamaint, head of the National Electoral Council.
Among the proposals approved were the use of the military to fight gangs, lower barriers to the extradition of suspected criminals and long prison sentences for convicted drug smugglers.
Some of the measures involve changes to the Ecuadorian constitution, but since they were previously approved by the Constitutional Court, President Daniel Noboa only needs to publish them in the Official Gazette for them to come into force. For projects that require a change in the law, the President must send a reform proposal to Parliament, which then has 60 days to process it.
number of Violent crime increased sharply
Noboa celebrated the result. “We defended the country,” he said in a message posted on social networks. “Now we will have more resources to fight against criminals and restore peace for Ecuador’s families.”
Ecuador has long been considered one of the most peaceful countries in South America. Recently, however, the number of violent crimes has risen sharply; last year, 40 out of 100,000 residents died in homicides – one of the highest levels in the region. For comparison: In Germany the murder rate is 0.8 per 100,000 inhabitants.
Armed attack on television station
Drug crime from neighboring Colombia is often blamed for the trend. In January, masked gunmen attacked a television station during a live broadcast and terrorized residents.
Noboa then declared an “internal armed conflict” for his country by decree, allowing him to use emergency powers. This enabled the military to take action against around 20 gangs that were classified as terrorist. The referendum served to expand powers and provide a stronger legal basis for them.
Anne Herrberg, ARD Rio de Janeiro, tagesschau, April 22, 2024 2:59 p.m