War on Drugs: Ecuadorians applaud Noboa’s way to regain safety

Since the escape, at the beginning of January, of public enemy number one, Adolfo Macías, alias Fito, leader of the powerful Choneros gang, the country has been in a state of emergency and President Noboa declared a state of internal war. Tens of thousands of soldiers and police are on the streets and in prisons to regain control of the country. The seizure of power occurs by force, sometimes at the expense of human rights. AND The president’s popularity increases.

Access to prisons the press is still bannedbut, as usual, numerous videos are circulating on social mediawith a lot of misinformation.

One video, for example, shows detainees on the ground hit by tear gas and hot water. It appears they were modified.

Others, however, are real and we know the source, such as what results arrested in underwearshirtless and with his hands on his head, he climbs some stairs with unusually rude soldiers, who force them to shout “Ecuador, Ecuador”, almost as if to demonstrate that the State has returned to power and that the gangs no longer govern.

President Noboa’s popularity increases

It’s very difficult to find people who don’t approve the hard way. President Daniel Noboa’s popularity rating is 80%, because people appreciate the fact that, for example, the police and the military removed them from prisons trucks loaded with firearms, knives, drugs, televisions, computers, cell phonescable television antennas, industrial kitchens, video game consoles and even sets of keys…

Billy Navarrete, executive director of the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, admits this Its message is increasingly difficult to convey.

“Since January 9, the escape of “Fito”, the point of view that we have been defending for 40 years, is going through its most difficult moment. We too are victims of violence, but any message that defends human rights, especially those prisonerswe deserve insults and threats. Recently a colleague was threatened with death because his photo was published on social media,” he complains.

Is calm returning to prisons?

It is above all the families of prisoners who protest against this “iron fist” policy. They feel that their loved ones are being treated like animals. We met some of them last Wednesday outside the Guayaquil prison. For a week they had no contact with their loved ones, all their cell phones had been confiscated and all visits suspended.

It should be noted that the Armed Forces have published an official video in which no one screams. They want to show that prisons are now well managed, that all privileges have been removed and that inmates who used to be extorted by gangs are more peaceful, which is probably true.