Ecuador families seek information on 51 reported disappearances during military operations

Fifty-one people have reportedly disappeared during Ecuadorian military operations since early 2024, according to statements from the acting attorney general. Families of the missing have asked authorities for information on the cases.

Background on the operations Ecuador recorded rising homicide rates after drug cartels expanded trafficking routes along the coast. President Daniel Noboa directed expanded police and military deployments to address the violence. Activists have accused the military of unlawful detentions during these operations.

The acting attorney general stated that 34 preliminary investigations are underway involving 51 victims.

One family's case Jonathan Villon, 31, was last seen on December 9, 2024, when he left to pick up groceries in Guayaquil. Security camera footage and a neighbor's video show soldiers placing him in a municipal truck. His family recorded the vehicle's license plate numbers.

The military has not responded to requests for information about the case. "We have the evidence, we have videos, we have the licence plates of the truck, and they won't give us a concrete and exact answer," said Yadira Bohorquez, Villon's partner.

The Malvinas case One case resulted in convictions after four boys aged 11 to 15 disappeared in southern Guayaquil. Surveillance footage showed Air Force officers placing them in a truck. Five soldiers admitted to beating the boys and leaving them outside the city.

They received 30-month sentences. Eleven soldiers who did not cooperate received sentences of more than 30 years. "This is huge, not only in Ecuador but in Latin America," said Camila Ruiz Segovia of Amnesty International. " The military and the office of President Noboa did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations.