Forced Disappearances in Guayaquil: UN Demands Immediate Responses from the Ecuadorian State
The resolution stresses the need to meet due diligence standards at every stage of the process, including prompt and thorough investigations. Dec 24, 2024 Photo: EFE
December 24, 2024 Hour: 4:18 pm
The missing minors are brothers Josué and Ismael Arroyo, aged 14 and 15, along with their friends Saúl Arboleda, 15, and Steven Medina, 11, who were last seen in the Las Malvinas area, south of Guayaquil.
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The UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances has issued an urgent call to the Ecuadorian government to take immediate action in the search, location, and protection of four missing children in Guayaquil.
This demand was formalized through a resolution endorsed by the Standing Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Guayaquil, which sets a deadline of January 7 for the State to report on the case.
The missing minors are brothers Josué and Ismael Arroyo, aged 14 and 15, along with their friends Saúl Arboleda, 15, and Steven Medina, 11, who were last seen in the Las Malvinas area, south of Guayaquil.
The UN has urged the authorities to urgently implement a comprehensive strategy that includes an action plan and a specific timetable for the immediate search for the minors, as well as a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of their disappearance.
The resolution stresses the need to meet due diligence standards at every stage of the process, including prompt and thorough investigations. In addition, it orders the exploration of all possible scenarios in the case, including the alarming possibility that this is a forced disappearance linked to state agents.
The document also states that families of the adolescents should be regularly informed about the progress of investigations and should have the opportunity to actively participate in the search processes. There is also a need to ensure that parents are protected by specialized agents.
The situation is further complicated by statements from Minister of Defence Giancarlo Loffredo, who confirmed that soldiers from the Taura Base had arrested the children on December 8, although they were released before being handed over to the National Police. Loffredo described this action as an “unacceptable procedure,” although he did not provide any evidence to support his claim.
The community and human rights defenders are on alert regarding this case, which highlights the serious crisis of forced disappearances in Ecuador.
Autor: MLM
Fuente: Ecuavisa - Primicias
