QUITO.- President Daniel Noboa announced on Tuesday that inmates repatriated from Ecuador They will be prohibited from returning “forever.” The decision is part of the president’s initiative to reduce overcrowding in Ecuadorian prisons, which currently house around 30,200 people, according to official figures from 2022.
The measure, which involves the repatriation of around 1,500 Colombian prisoners, was described by some countries, such as Colombia, as a “mass expulsion.” Gustavo Petro’s government rejected Noboa’s plan, arguing that it would leave returned people free on the other side of the border.
The president, when questioned about Bogotá’s position, stated: “That is a problem for Colombia, but those people will not be able to enter Ecuador again.” The initiative seeks to alleviate prison overcrowding, especially in a context in which the aim is to pacify the prison system.
As part of its strategy, Noboa plans to build two maximum security prisons in the next eleven months to house the most dangerous inmates. The president, who took office in November for a short period until 2025, has declared war on around twenty drug trafficking gangs linked to Colombian and Mexican cartels, taking forceful measures that include the deployment of military forces in the streets and prisons.
This action resulted in the arrest of nearly 4,500 people and the seizure of 40 tons of drugs so far in January. However, it also triggered a violent response from the gangs, causing the deaths of at least twenty people in just over a week. The situation reflects the complexity of addressing the problem of drug trafficking and crime in the region.
Source: With information from AFP
