About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (April 18, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/goveozr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Ecuador's April 2024 Plebiscite on Security Measures: Implications for Congress April 18, 2024 On April 21, 2024, Ecuador is scheduled to hold a plebiscite on 11 proposed reforms that seek to address Ecuador's ongoing security crisis. President Daniel Noboa, who took office for a 17-month term in November 2023 following a snap election, has proposed five measures that would make changes to the country's constitution and six measures that would prompt legal reforms to be made through Ecuador's parliament. A majority ofthe questions are aimed at increasing the government's ability to fight organized crime and corruption, including whether to formalize the armed forces' role in public security functions and enable the extradition of Ecuadorian citizens. 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 results of the upcoming plebiscite 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 may continue to perform public security functions indefinitely. During the state of emergency, security forces conducted over 272,000 operations, resulting in over 18,700 arrests. Some analysts assess these Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12348 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most