When state security crosses the line into criminal violence, the credibility of institutions is put on trial.
Guayaquil, December 2025
An Ecuadorian court has sentenced members of the armed forces to lengthy prison terms for their involvement in the forced disappearance and killing of four minors during a military operation carried out as part of the country’s internal security campaign. The ruling marks one of the most severe judicial responses to abuses committed by state security forces in recent Ecuadorian history and has reignited national and regional debate over the militarisation of public safety.
The case stems from the disappearance of four boys between the ages of eleven and fifteen, who were detained by soldiers during a patrol operation in a working class neighbourhood of Guayaquil. According to the court’s findings, the minors were unlawfully taken into military custody and later abandoned in a remote area, where they were subsequently found dead. The judges concluded that the actions constituted enforced disappearance followed by homicide, crimes prohibited under both Ecuadorian law and international human rights conventions.
Eleven soldiers received sentences exceeding three decades in prison after being found guilty of direct participation in the crimes. Other military personnel involved in the operation received reduced sentences after cooperating with prosecutors, while a senior officer was acquitted due to insufficient evidence linking him to operational decisions. The verdict followed months of testimony, forensic analysis and public pressure from families and human rights organisations demanding accountability.
The ruling has been widely interpreted as a test of Ecuador’s commitment to the rule of law amid an aggressive security strategy aimed at curbing organised crime. Over the past two years, the government has relied heavily on military deployments to confront escalating violence linked to criminal networks. Critics argue that this approach has blurred institutional boundaries and increased the risk of abuses against civilians, particularly minors and residents of marginalised communities.
Families of the victims described the sentences as a painful but necessary step toward justice, emphasising that accountability does not erase the loss but affirms the dignity of the children involved. Civil society groups echoed that assessment, stressing that enforced disappearance is among the gravest human rights violations and that prosecutions of state agents remain rare across the region.
The case has also sparked broader reflection within Ecuador about civilian oversight of security forces, command responsibility and the limits of military involvement in internal policing. Legal experts note that while the verdict sets an important precedent, it does not by itself resolve systemic risks associated with deploying armed forces in roles traditionally reserved for civilian law enforcement.
As Ecuador continues to confront complex security challenges, the convictions underscore a central tension facing many states in the region: how to restore public safety without eroding fundamental rights. The outcome of this case signals that, at least in this instance, the judiciary was willing to draw a firm line between legitimate security operations and criminal conduct carried out under the cover of authority.
Phoenix24. Lo visible y lo oculto, en contexto. / Phoenix24. The visible and the hidden, in context.