Amnesty International: Ecuador Under Scrutiny for Enforced Disappearances

Ecuador's military-first security strategy is producing results against narcotrafficking — but also producing victims who vanish without a trace.

The Amnesty Report

On March 9, 2026, Amnesty International published evidence it submitted to the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances, documenting a pattern of people disappearing during military operations conducted under President Noboa's security strategy.

The key findings:

• 10 people disappeared during five separate military operations conducted in 2024
• A total of 43 possible victims of enforced disappearance have been documented since 2023, when Noboa declared an internal armed conflict and deployed the military for domestic security operations
• Most victims remain unaccounted for — their families have received no information about their whereabouts, condition, or fate
• The disappearances occurred in provinces under states of emergency, where military operations have been most intensive — primarily along the coast and in urban areas of Guayaquil

What Is an Enforced Disappearance?

Under international law, an enforced disappearance occurs when state agents (military, police, or others acting with government authority) deprive someone of their liberty and then refuse to acknowledge the detention or provide information about the person's fate. It is considered one of the gravest human rights violations because it places the victim completely outside the protection of the law.

Ecuador ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance in 2009, legally binding itself to prevent, investigate, and punish the practice.

The Las Malvinas Case

The most significant legal development related to enforced disappearances in Ecuador came in December 2025, when a court issued a landmark ruling in what is known as the Las Malvinas case:

• Four Afro-descendant teenagers disappeared following a military operation in the Las Malvinas neighborhood of Guayaquil
• After a lengthy investigation and trial, 11 military officers were sentenced to 34 or more years in prison for their roles in the disappearance
• The case was the first time Ecuadorian military personnel were convicted and given significant sentences for enforced disappearance
• The ruling established legal precedent that military operations conducted under states of emergency do not exempt soldiers from accountability for human rights violations

The Tension

Ecuador faces a genuine dilemma. The country's narcotrafficking crisis is real — criminal organizations have infiltrated ports, corrupted security forces, assassinated political candidates, and terrorized entire provinces. The public overwhelmingly supports aggressive security measures, and Noboa's approval ratings have been sustained in significant part by his tough-on-crime stance.

But aggressive military operations in dense urban neighborhoods and rural communities inevitably produce civilian casualties and abuses, particularly when conducted under states of emergency that reduce judicial oversight and expand military authority.

Amnesty International's submission to the UN is not calling for Ecuador to abandon its security strategy. It is calling for accountability mechanisms that ensure military operations do not become a license for state violence against civilians.

What This Means for Expats

• The human rights situation in Ecuador is now under formal international scrutiny. UN committee reviews can lead to recommendations, public reporting, and diplomatic pressure that affects Ecuador's international standing
• The Las Malvinas verdict is significant. It demonstrates that Ecuadorian courts can and will hold military personnel accountable, even during a security crisis. This is a positive signal for rule of law
• If you live in areas with heavy military presence, understand that operations are not always conducted with surgical precision. Stay informed about security operations in your area and avoid areas where military operations are underway
• The enforced disappearance issue primarily affects Ecuadorian citizens in low-income communities — not expats. But the underlying question of whether the military operates within the law affects the quality of governance and institutional trustworthiness that all residents depend on
• Ecuador's international reputation matters for expats. International human rights scrutiny can affect foreign investment, tourism, trade agreements, and diplomatic relationships — all of which influence Ecuador's economy and stability

Source: Amnesty International