Ecuador has 16 air force members arrested for disappeared children
Ecuador has 16 air force members arrested for disappeared children
A judge in Ecuador has ordered the detention of 16 air weapons members who are accused in connection with the disappearance of four children. The children's burned remains were found in a military patrol vehicle weeks after their violent entry.
shocking revelations and protests
This case shaken the nation and triggered protests against the military, which leads the offensive of President Daniel Noboa against violent criminal groups. On Tuesday, shortly after a judge in Guayaquil ordered the detains, the prosecutors announced that forensic tests had shown that the corpses found last week were actually one of the missing children. The bodies were discovered near the place where the children were last seen.
The missing children
The children, Saúl Arboleda, Steven Medina as well as the brothers Josué and Ismael Arroyo, were reported missing on December 8th after playing football and being recorded by soldiers in the province of Guayas. A video of the National Assembly published last week shows that they were forced into a patrol vehicle against their will.
reactions of the defense authority
The Ministry of Defense confirmed that the children were recorded, but insisted that they were later released. It also said that the children were involved in a robbery, while the public prosecutor said that there was no evidence of this. The news about the forensic identifications was recorded with frustration and grief.
Appeals of justice
"What pain to end the year with this tragedy that makes the country mourn. It is unacceptable that the life of our children ends in this way. Do not allow the fear to silence us, and let the solidarity become a voice, that justice calls for something like that," wrote the prefect from Guayas, Marcela Aguiñaga, X. Guayaquil, Aquiles Álvarez, said: "Nothing will alleviate the pain of the parents, just as little as something that the murderer in everyone involved, directly or indirectly. The truth is that this country has reached the low.
public commitment to truth and transparency
During the hearing, the public prosecutor's office presented evidence and video recordings that are intended to support the alleged participation of the accused in the crime examined. Outside, dozens of people gathered, including relatives and friends of the children, to demand truth and transparency. Some wore photos of the children, while other banners kept and shouted slogans, like "they were taken alive, we want them to live!" And "Lord, woman, don't be indifferent, you take children in front of the people!"grief and support from politics
The National Assembly and the Mayor's Office of Quito have explained three days of grief. CNN asked the Ministry of Defense and the Presidency to comment. Last week, President Noboa said that in this case there would be no impunity and asked the law enforcement authorities to work with the Attorney General during the investigation. The Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces said on Tuesday that they would work “without reservations or conditions” in the investigation.
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