Noboa Government Confirms Detention of Four Minors After 14 Days of Silence

Hundreds of people have gathered in front of the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Guayaquil, demanding answers and the prompt appearance of the minors under the slogan: “They took them away alive, and we want them back alive!” Dec 23, 2024 Photo: Prensa Latina

December 23, 2024 Hour: 4:58 pm

The children, aged between 11 and 15, were last seen after leaving a bakery following a game of football. According to testimonies from their parents, they were taken by soldiers from the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) near the southern part of Guayaquil.

After a 14-day silence, Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa has confirmed that four minors were detained by members of the armed forces during a military operation in Guayaquil. The statement comes amid growing social and familial clamor for the appearance of the children, who disappeared on December 8 in the Las Malvinas sector.

In a message through the social network X, Noboa emphasized his commitment to justice and zero impunity, stating that while he is president, he will not allow the abuses of the past to be repeated.”As a father and commander-in-chief, I decided that all necessary cooperation should be given to justice and that the technical nature of the investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office should be respected,” said the representative.

#Ecuador 🇪🇨 | A video is circulating on social media in which soldiers detain and mistreat one of the four children who are still missing in #Guayaquil, while another was already in the pick-up truck pic.twitter.com/qtfwskeyli
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 23, 2024

One parent reported receiving a call from a man who informed him of the situation and mentioned that one of the children managed to reach him for help. The children were later found abandoned in a remote location and without clothes, allegedly by members of mafias operating in the area.

The Office of the Prosecutor has taken up the case and transferred it to Quito for a more thorough investigation conducted by the Specialized Unit on Investigating the Unlawful Use of Force. Meanwhile, social pressure continues to grow.

This case has unleashed a wave of outrage across the country, calling into question the actions of the police and highlighting the urgent need to ensure human rights protection in Ecuador. The community hopes that investigations will progress quickly and that justice will be served for the missing children.