Vanished without a trace: The Crisis of Forced Disappearances in Ecuador

By Alegría Naranjo Araujo


The Crisis of Disappearances

Ecuador is facing an unprecedented security crisis, reflected not only in the rise of homicides and acts of violence but also in the alarming increase of missing persons. Only in 2023, 6,874 disappearances were reported in the country, of which 394 ended with the discovery of the victims' lifeless bodies. By the end of 2024, 828 cases remained under investigation, nearly 100 more than the previous year, according to the Ministry of the Interior's database.

The sustained increase in disappearances has brought one of its most severe forms—forced disappearances—into the heart of public debate. This phenomenon, historically linked to authoritarian regimes and armed conflicts, has resurfaced in Ecuador in the context of militarisation and security policies implemented by the government.


What is a Forced Disappearance?

According to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), a forced disappearance is defined as any detention, arrest, or abduction carried out by state agents or individuals acting with their authorisation or consent, followed by the refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or disclose the whereabouts of the victim. This type of disappearance leaves victims in legal limbo, without access to rights or guarantees, and their families in an endless search for justice.

In Ecuador, the latest report from the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights has documented 27 cases of forced disappearances in 2024 on the country's coast, occurring in the context of militarisation decreed by the government. Nine of the victims are minors. The growing evidence of these incidents has raised alarms about the excessive use of force and the impunity surrounding these human rights violations.


Ecuador in a State of Emergency

On January 9, 2024, President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency due to the internal armed conflict. This measure allowed the deployment of the Armed Forces nationwide to confront criminal groups deemed terrorist organisations. Additionally, it granted broad leeway for the use of lethal force, raising concerns about potential abuses.

By labelling these groups as belligerents, the government implicitly granted them the right to engage with the state in a war. Instead of ensuring security, this decision has exacerbated violence and created a climate of constant confrontations.

Amid this crisis, militarisation has severely jeopardised human rights. Security operations have led to systematic violations, including extrajudicial executions, arbitrary detentions, and forced disappearances.

The desperation of Ecuadorian society in the face of violence has strengthened a punitive discourse. On social media and public debates, the idea that the only solution is the extreme use of force, even outside the bounds of legality, has been normalised. However, history shows that militarisation without comprehensive security strategies not only fails to reduce violence but can fuel new forms of repression and abuse.


“The Guayaquil Four”.

One of the most alarming cases that reflects this reality is that of the four missing children in Guayaquil, whose murder shocked the country and evidenced the dangers of a security policy based on militarisation and the indiscriminate use of force.

On December 8, 2023, in Guayaquil, four children-Saúl, Josué, Ismael and Steven-were detained by the military in the Las Malvinas neighbourhood. The oldest was only 15, and the youngest was only 11 years old. That afternoon, as usual, they were returning home after playing soccer, but they never arrived.

The official version tried to sow doubts, but the truth came out: 16 soldiers apprehended them, subjected them to torture and, finally, their bodies were found burned in a river on December 24. What should have been a Christmas turned into a date of horror for Ecuadorian families. The news shocked the country and the world, exposing with brutal clarity the human rights crisis in the country. The families of the children have demanded justice, but the State's responses have been late and evasive. The outrage multiplied in social networks, streets and international forums, where the case became a symbol of impunity and institutional violence. This event marked a before and after in the fight against forced disappearances in the country, generating pressure to hold the government and security forces accountable.

What moves and unsettles Ecuadorian families is that forced disappearances are neither isolated events nor spontaneous cases. According to Fernando Bastías, a lawyer for the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, there is a systematisation of human rights violations, evidenced in patterns of abuses in different provinces of the country. In Los Ríos, for example, at least seven similar cases have already been registered. In addition, Bastías points out that these crimes do not occur by chance, but rather respond to a political directive that allows the mobilisation of military forces without adequate control in citizen security operations. This situation not only aggravates the human rights crisis but also erodes trust in institutions and the State, weakening the social fabric and democratic cohesion, and generating a cycle of distrust that prevents the strengthening of governance and justice in the country.

What is in store for Ecuadorian youth?

The case of the four young men from Guayaquil forces us to reflect deeply on the future of Ecuadorian youth who are forced to grow up in an environment marked by generalised violence. In a country where security spaces are increasingly reduced, and where the institutions in charge of protecting them seem to be unable to stop the escalation of violence, youth face an uncertain and bleak horizon.

By January 2025, 750 violent deaths were recorded, representing a 56% increase compared to the same period in 2024, reaching the highest figure in a decade, according to the Ministry of Interior. Most of these crimes have been attributed to territorial disputes between criminal gangs such as the Chone Killers and Latin Kings. This violence, which especially affects young people, is reflected in the alarming 403 intentional homicides of children and adolescents in 2024, an increase of 14.48% over the previous year. These data not only evidence how violence impacts the most vulnerable generations but also show that, beyond gang fights, young people are trapped in a system incapable of guaranteeing their safety and well-being, leaving many in a situation of total vulnerability.

Forced disappearances cannot be seen as isolated events. They are the reflection of a web of state repression and social collapse that has led many young people to become silent victims of violence. While the government chooses to militarise the country instead of implementing comprehensive security strategies, the price is paid by Ecuadorian families, especially young people, whose future is cut short by violence and impunity.

Instead of being the protagonists of positive change and prosperity, many young people are trapped in a cycle of hopelessness, where death and fear seem to be the only certainties. In a country where violence has become a daily phenomenon, how can young Ecuadorians pursue their dreams and aspirations? This is a critical moment to reflect on the future of a generation whose destiny should not be allowed to disappear at the hands of the state, in an environment defined by violence and hopelessness.

 
 

Alegría Naranjo Araujo is a second-year student of Philosophy, Politics and Economics at King’s College London. She is from Quito, Ecuador.

KCL Latin American Society