In a vote over the weekend, Ecuadorians will have their say on whether the country’s military can back up police operations without declaring a state of emergency.
In Ecuador, five mayors of different regions have been killed within a year.
In a country plagued by drug-related gang violence, a referendum will be held this coming weekend on whether the country’s administration should introduce more drastic measures to eradicate organized crime. The most recent victim is the mayor of Portovelo Jorge Maldonado. He died on Friday when he was shot during his free time.
In a vote over the weekend, Ecuadorians will have their say on whether the country’s military can back up police operations without declaring a state of emergency. In addition, the vote will reveal whether the people support the strengthening of gun control and tougher sentences for terrorism and drugs.
Two days before Maldonado’s death, the mayor of Camilo Ponce Entiquez Jose Sanchez was shot.
The body representing Ecuador’s regions stated in its statement that the deaths of the mayors are an indication of a serious security crisis and it called for quick action to keep the country’s more than 200 mayors safe.
Ecuador has drifted into a serious situation due to increasing violence. The background is the actions of transnational drug cartels and the disagreements between them. For example, the Mexican and Columbian cartels use, for example, the ports of Ecuador to transport drug cargo.
President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa declared in January that there was an armed conflict going on inside the country against about 20 criminal gangs. The army has since been seen on the streets and administered the prisons. This happened after one of the prominent leaders of a drug league escaped from prison. He still hasn’t been caught. At least 460 people have died in prison riots in recent years.
Source: AFP