The High Commissioner of the HIM for Human Rights in South America (OHCHR) demanded that the Justice of Ecuador to investigate in depth the case of the four minors found burned near a military base in December.
“The investigation of this very serious crime must be independent, without political pressure and exhaustive, addressing possible command responsibilities”said the representative of the organization, Jan Jarab, who assured that he was “dismayed” after knowing the outcome of this case, whose crime is not extinguished with the discovery of the lifeless bodies.
“This fatal event should mark a turning point in the way public security policy is conducted in the country”added Jarab and asked, in turn, “to avoid at all times (in the investigation process) the re-victimization of families.”
On December 8, a group of four young people was arrested by a patrol 16 military in the sector of The Falklandsin the south of Guayaquil, one of the cities with the greatest presence of drug trafficking and high rates of violence, which forced the deployment of the Armed Forces in the streets.
The officers’ version suggests that, shortly after the arrest – which was not part of an operation but was due to the young people being surprised while committing an alleged crime– Saul Arboleda, Steven Medina and the brothers Joshua e Ismael Arroyobetween 11 and 15 years old, were released in good condition.
However, since this incident there was no further news of any of them, so their forced disappearance. Days later, on December 25, Police found several bodies near an Armed Forces base with signs of violencewhich were thought to be linked to the case.
Given this, during a hearing on December 31, The Prosecutor’s Office formally accused the group of soldierswho was already in military custody, and ordered his preventive detention while what happened was clarified.
“Based on the elements of conviction presented by the Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office, the Judge in the case dictates preventive detention for the 16 soldiers prosecuted for alleged forced disappearance,” reported the Public Ministry.
Shortly later that same day, It was confirmed that the four bodies corresponded to the four missing teenagers.
“The results of the forensic genetic tests confirm that the four bodies found in Taura correspond to the three teenagers and a child who disappeared after a military operation on December 8,” reported the Prosecutor’s Office.
This week, the Minister of Government, José de la Gasca, referred to the case but asked to treat it with caution, in an attempt to distance the strategy against terrorist groups implemented by Daniel Noboa from the complaints of state crimes.
“Investigations are ongoing (…) I cannot assume that there was an operation, that will be determined with the evidence. What I do know is that at this moment There is already a formulation of charges for the crime of forced disappearance, not for extrajudicial execution. Nor can one speak of a state crime or a crime against humanity.“he said during a press conference.
(With information from Europa Press)
