Debate: State of emergency in Ecuador
Date: TUESDAY, 16 JANUARY 2024
Speaker: Adina-Ioana Vălean
Language: EN

On 10 January 2024, gangs rioted in prisons, attacked security forces and invaded a live TV news broadcast. Violence was concentrated in Guayaquil, one of the major Latin American ports in the Pacific and an important export hub for drugs, where at least eight people were killed, as gunmen looted businesses and entered public buildings, including five hospitals.  Coordinated uprisings took place in several penitentiaries, resulting in 141 members of prison staff being held hostage and in a mass outbreak of prisoners. As the country plunged into violence, President Daniel Noboa, declared a state of internal armed conflict. This allows him to widely mobilise the armed forces in the fight against organised crime. He designated 22 criminal groups as terrorist organisations, and instructed the armed forces and police to fight them. The National Assembly approved the decree by unanimity in a display of unity and support to the government.  On 8 January 2024, President Noboa had already declared a state of emergency after one of Ecuador’s most wanted criminals escaped from prison. José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known by the alias ‘Fito’, the founder and convicted leader of the ‘Los Choneros’ gang, vanished from his cell in Guayaquil on 7 January 2024 just before being transferred to a maximum security facility. Since then, 329 people have been arrested.  Ecuador has witnessed states of emergency before due to the growing influence of gangs involved in drug trafficking, prison control, institutional corruption and the expansion into new criminal enterprises. However, President Noboa’s declaration of armed conflict with gangs is unprecedented in the country’s history. The EU supports Ecuador and its Government and democratic institutions in their efforts to restore public order, defend the rule of law, protect human rights and guarantee citizens’ security. Organised crime poses a direct threat to the resilience of public institutions and to democracy, prosperity and social cohesion of Ecuador. It must not be allowed to prevail. The EU categorically condemns this wave of violence. We reiterate our solidarity with Ecuador, its Government and its people, and express solidarity with the victims. We will work with Ecuador to strengthen our cooperation, financial assistance and collaboration with European law enforcement and investigation agencies to reinforce Ecuador’s ability to fight against transnational organised crime. The fight is not just a national issue, it is an international challenge that impacts directly on the EU and our societies and requires coordinated efforts on a global scale, from the countries of origin to those of transit and final destination of drugs and illegal benefits, including tax havens. The transnational nature of these crimes and these criminal networks demands that we all, including us in Europe, pool resources, intelligence and expertise to fight and eradicate them. Drug trafficking and organised crime linked to it are a threat to all societies, their prosperity, security and democracy. Europe needs to reinforce its cooperation with partners in the fight against drug trafficking in Ecuador and elsewhere. Ecuador may seem very far away from Europe, but in today’s interconnected world, we need to pool efforts and resources to defend our societies and democracies against organised crime. Honourable Members, the EU started to strengthen its cooperation with Ecuador in security matters, including the fight against transnational organised crime, years ago. This includes both policy dialogue and concrete cooperation assistance. In 2023, the EU signed a memorandum of understanding with Ecuador that will allow us to deepen cooperation on various policy areas, including on security. Last autumn, Europol signed a working agreement with the Ministry of the Interior of Ecuador, which will strengthen real—time cooperation. In February 2023, Commissioner Johansson visited Ecuador with the Belgian Minister of the Interior, Annelies Verlinden. They met with the President and several ministers, Foreign Affairs, Interior and Defence, and they visited the Port of Contecon in Guayaquil. The visit reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to support the security sector in Ecuador through our regional programmes EL PAcCTO, COPOLAD EUROFRONT and SEACOP. Specific cooperation activities, including emergency support for prison security and assistance for port security in Guayaquil, were initiated in 2023. These are just recent examples. In addition, the negotiations of the EU agreement with Ecuador on the exchange of data with Europol, which will bring operational cooperation to the next level, are ongoing. However, we must do more, and that is why we plan to mobilise new funds for 2024 to build up state and community resilience in some of the most affected areas of the country. I will stop here. I am looking forward to your remarks.