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full screen According to a preliminary vote count, voters in Ecuador say yes to the proposals presented to get rid of the criminal gangs in the country. Photo: Dolores Ochoa/AP/TT
Voters in Ecuador have voted with a clear majority yes to tougher measures against the criminal gangs, according to the country’s election authority, which refers to a preliminary vote count.
All nine proposals that focus on improving security in the country have been voted yes by the voters. The proposals deal, among other things, with tougher punishments for terrorism and drug trafficking, and that the military should be able to be deployed in the fight against the gangs.
President Daniel Noboa, who in January declared a national state of emergency and an internal war against the drug cartels, also wants it to be easier to extradite Ecuadorians who are wanted abroad.
Ecuador has long been one of Latin America’s most stable countries. In recent years, a spiral of violence has hit the country, triggered by more drug cartels. The number of murders per capita is skyrocketing, and in the past year around ten politicians have been killed.
In January, the situation escalated after feared drug lord Adolfo Macias escaped from a high-security prison. He is still at large.