After criminal gangs rose up in Ecuador and took over buildings in cities like Quito and Guayaquil, the Government of President Daniel Noboa responded with full force. The emphatic response with which he decided to confront organized crime and drug trafficking, however, has been criticized by some voices outside the country.
The horrific moments that Ecuadorians experienced on Tuesday and Wednesday have been, without a doubt, among the darkest in recent years. Hundreds of criminals and members of drug trafficking gangs took to the streets to spread terror. They kidnapped, intimidated and murdered without restraint. Among the most violent acts, the criminals executed several prison guards, took over the facilities of a television channel and shot at schools and universities.
Immediately after the slaughter began, President Noboa declared a state of emergency, described the criminal gangs as narco-terrorist groups and gave the green light to the Army to act at its convenience. Since then, the government has managed to control the situation and the images coming out of Ecuador are, in some ways, encouraging.
Criminals arrested and humiliated. Cowed, begging for their lives. Hundreds of criminals, already detained, without clothes, handcuffed, in line. They already say it: 'a la Bukele' (a Spanish phrase meaning 'just like Bukele' referring to the president of El Salvador and the photos of prisoners there). And that comparison, for some, has been hateful.
🇪🇨 AVANZA RETOMA DEL ECUADOR | Al mejor estilo Bukele, el presidente Noboa empezó la captura de los terroristas que otrora patrocinaba Rafael Correa: pic.twitter.com/oxLy5F0th9
— IMPACTO 24/7 (@Impacto24_7) January 10, 2024
So far, I have read several messages, none, by the way, from Ecuador, that say that it is a mistake for Daniel Noboa to seek to imitate his counterpart in El Salvador. The panic generated in some by the imposition of order and justice continues to draw attention. It's not about Bukele. Daniel Noboa is not, nor is he trying to be, the Bukele of Ecuador. Daniel Noboa is Daniel Noboa, the president of Ecuador, and he seeks to impose what has not existed in his country or the rest of South America for years.
"Terrorists must be treated as terrorists. We are not going to negotiate with any of them. The conditions are no longer set by criminals; they are set by good citizens. It's over," said Noboa in a speech.
The president later announced the creation of two mega prisons: "Today we are executing Plan Fenix throughout the country, through the Armed Forces and the National Police. It is the beginning of an urgent cleanup of the Ecuadorian penitentiary system, which has been in place for decades and controlled by the mafias. The riots in the streets and in prisons are a clear response to the criminals' fear of the national policies that we are implementing at the national level. We are not going to let a group of terrorists stop the country."
"Today, I present the approved designs for the construction of detention centers," reported the president.
🎥 VÍDEO | Noboa sigue la senda de Bukele: aprueba construir dos prisiones de máxima seguridad por la crisis de Ecuador pic.twitter.com/yU5ZjF63EO
— Vozpópuli (@voz_populi) January 11, 2024
We welcome President Daniel Noboa's firmness against organized crime and drug trafficking. Without a strong response like his, taking down the criminals is impossible.
Latin America, a region historically plagued by drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime, needs governments with determination and who are willing to humiliate, subdue and expose criminals. For there to be peace and freedom, there must first be order.
And the image of criminals humiliated and exposed is powerful and necessary. The message is for the gangs, for Ecuadorians and for the world. The era of impunity is over, the government announces. Law and order have arrived.
Be suspicious, then, of those who are outraged by the harsh treatment of those who kill in the streets, hang police officers and kidnap students. President Noboa is doing the right thing, and Ecuadorians will thank him.
