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1 1 (April 24, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goveozq0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional ____ ~ ~Research Service Ecuador's April 2024 Plebiscite on Security Measures: Implications for Congress Updated April 24, 2024 On April 21, 2024, Ecuador held a plebiscite on 11 proposed reforms that seek to address the country's ongoing security crisis. According to preliminary results released by Ecuador's electoral body, voters voted in favor of 9 of the 11 questions, approving all of the reforms aimed at increasing the government's ability to fight organized crime and corruption. Some measures require legislative action to take effect, but several reforms-including those that formalize the armed forces' role in public security functions and enable the extradition of Ecuadorian citizens-are set to take effect as soon as the official results are published. Voters rejected two economic proposals related to recognizing international arbitration and permitting hourly work contracts. Many analysts interpret the plebiscite's results as a political victory for President Daniel Noboa, who took office for a 17-month term in November 2023 following a snap election, although voter turnout was lower than in past electoral processes. Congress has acted to strengthen security cooperation and broader bilateral ties with Ecuador, including through the United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-263, Division E, Subtitle B). Some Members of Congress also have expressed concern about the deteriorating security climate in Ecuador and offered statements of support to the Ecuadorian government. As Congress continues to monitor the U.S.-Ecuador partnership, it may assess the plebiscite results and their implications for bilateral security cooperation. Ecuador's Security Situation Since 2020, Ecuador has experienced a surge in organized-crime-related violence as local gangs affiliated with Mexican, Colombian, and Balkan transnational criminal organizations have competed for control of drug trafficking routes to ship cocaine to markets outside South America. The homicide rate in Ecuador reportedly increased by over 500% from 2019 to 2023, reaching 44.5 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, amid a historic increase in cocaine seizures. Some political figures and government officials have been assassinated, including a 2023 presidential candidate, an anti-crime prosecutor, and local politicians. In January 2024, President Noboa declared a state of emergency and internal armed conflict, limiting some constitutional rights, designating 22 criminal groups as terrorist organizations, and enabling the armed forces to carry out law enforcement operations, among other actions. The state of emergency expired on April 8, ending some extraordinary measures, but a court order determined the armed forces Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12348 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

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