Violence-stricken Ecuadorians vote on anti-crime measures

Ecuadorians voted in a referendum yesterday on tougher measures to combat the rise in gang-related crime. The once peaceful South American country has suffered a shocking increase in violence, which has left two mayors dead this week. The blame is being placed on gangs with ties to transnational cartels that use Ecuador’s ports to ship drugs to the United States and Europe. The results of the referendum “will determine the course and state policies that we will follow to face the challenge” of organized crime,’ President Daniel Noboa said as voting began in Quito. Nearly 13.6 million of the country’s 17.7 million residents are eligible to cast a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote after 10 hours of voting.” We continue with a peaceful, calm and safe vote National Electoral Council Day, Diana Atamaint, said Chairman of the National Electoral Council. Noboa declared a state of “internal armed conflict” in January, blaming about 20 criminal groups for a wave of violence sparked by the escape of a major drug lord who was still on the run. Gangsters kidnapped dozens of people, including police and prison guards, opened fire in a TV studio during a live broadcast and threatened arbitrary executions during the days-long rampage that left about 20 dead. Noboa imposed a state of emergency and deployed soldiers to regain control of the country’s prisons, which had become the nerve center for gang operations and a bloody battlefield that has claimed the lives of more than 460 prisoners in three years. Despite these efforts, violence has continued. Two mayors were murdered last week. That’s five in a year and three in less than a month. At least a dozen politicians have been killed in Ecuador since January last year, including presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot after a campaign event last August. During the weekend vote, Noboa is seeking popular support for his plans to crack down even harder on those responsible for such acts. Citizens are being asked to approve an expansion of military and police powers, significantly strengthening gun control and imposing harsher penalties for “terrorism” and drug trafficking. Noboa also proposes amending the constitution to allow Ecuadorians wanted abroad for crimes related to organized crime to be extradited. The extradition issue animates Alexandra Rocha, 25, a teacher, who said she voted in favor. that the laws here are not strong enough to make people who commit a crime pay for what they do,” she said. However, another voter, Dulce Negrete, “voted no to everything,” believing that extradition serves no real purpose – and that the military’s participation in anti-gang operations has mainly resulted in “more deaths.” Most of the questions in the referendum concern crime prevention – a priority even as Ecuador also struggles with widespread corruption, a crippling electricity shortage and a diplomatic row with Mexico. Last year, the country’s murder rate rose to a record 43 per 100,000 residents – up from six in 2018, according to official data. In a release on Friday, polling firm Gallup said no other region in the world, excluding active war zones, felt this way in 2023, it is less safe for residents than Ecuador’s Guayas province. Other polls show that a majority of Ecuadorians are likely to vote in favor of Noboa’s reforms. The vote comes in the same week that Ecuadorians suffered power cuts of up to 13 hours as drought left key hydropower reservoirs. almost empty. The government has ordered workers to stay at home for two days in an effort to conserve scarce energy resources. Noboa has placed some of the blame on “sabotage” without naming anyone in particular.