Amnesty International has publicly criticized the security measures enforced by Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, marking a year since he took office. The timing of the statement is significant as it aligns with the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s review of Ecuador’s human rights situation in Geneva. Amnesty International’s concerns center around President Noboa’s security policy, which frames drug-trafficking organizations as “terrorists” and has led to the declaration of an “internal armed conflict.” This move has sparked several states of emergency under the “Plan Fenix,” a policy criticized for severe human rights abuses.
The effects of “Plan Fenix” include numerous human rights violations, such as mass arrests without proper legal procedures, cases of torture and mistreatment in prisons, and serious allegations of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances during military operations. For more details on Amnesty’s position, you can view their full statement.
Ana Piquer, Director for the Americas at Amnesty International, emphasized the normalization of exceptional powers in Ecuador, resulting in detrimental impacts on human rights. She urged the international community to demand transparency and accountability from Ecuadorian authorities, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
From January to June 2024, more than 120,000 police and military operations were conducted under “Plan Fenix,” resulting in 34,945 arrests, though President Noboa labeled these individuals as “presumed criminals,” negating their presumption of innocence. In response to these intensified military activities, the Public Defender’s Office has increased its presence in affected areas.
Data from the Public Prosecutor’s Office reveals a troubling rise in documented abuses: 12 potential extrajudicial executions, 4 enforced disappearances, and 95 torture cases from January to July 2024, which starkly contrasts with the five extrajudicial executions reported in 2023. Amnesty International also cited specific cases, such as the shooting of 19-year-old Carlos Javier Vega Ipanaque by soldiers, which you can read about in further detail on El Pais.
Amnesty further observed efforts to stigmatize human rights defenders by high-ranking officials, including President Noboa, who called them “antipatriotic.” This stigmatization has complicated human rights organizations’ attempts to access public information and engage with government representatives.
Finally, Amnesty International expressed concerns over prisoners’ limited access to essential services like food, water, and healthcare. Although family visitations were restored in July after considerable international pressure from entities such as the UN Committee on Torture, the involvement of military forces has not enhanced the safety of prison officials, with three prison directors murdered this year, including the head of Litoral prison, the most sizable facility in Ecuador.
This report is available in full on JURIST.