QUITO.- In a forceful response against organized crime, Ecuadorian authorities announced this Thursday the arrest of nine individuals related to the kidnapping of businessman and former British honorary consul, Colin Armstrong, and his partner, which occurred over the weekend.
During midnight on Tuesday, security forces carried out the rescue of Armstrong, 78, in the coastal province of Manabí. The commander of the Police, General César Zapata, assured that the British businessman was in “good condition.”
Eight Ecuadorians and one foreigner are in custody and will face charges related to the kidnapping. Although the specific details of the rescue have not been revealed, the scope of the operation underscores the Ecuadorian government’s determination in the fight against crime.
Violence in Ecuador
Armstrong’s kidnapping occurs amid a wave of violence unleashed by foreign and local drug cartels in Ecuador, which has established a regime of terror, controlling not only the streets, but also the prison system.
Revealing data shows a dramatic increase in violence levels, with homicides having quadrupled since 2018, reaching a rate of 26 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022. Projections for this year are even more grim, with a rate of 40 expected.
President Daniel Noboa, who took office in November, adopted a tough policy to confront drug trafficking organizations that have infiltrated state institutions. This position was recently supported with the arrest of approximately 30 people, including judges, prosecutors and police officers of various ranks, for their links to organized crime.
Strategically located between the world’s largest cocaine producers, Colombia and Peru, Ecuador reaches alarming levels of drug seizures, recording a record of 210 tons seized in 2021.
The war on drug trafficking is intertwined with political violence, which recently claimed the lives of a presidential candidate and eight politicians during the last election campaign. The complexity of these challenges requires comprehensive and sustained responses to restore security and stability in the South American country.
Source: With information from AFP
