The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, announced on Saturday that his government decided to authorize possessing and carrying civilian weapons for personal defense as part of the measures against increased crime in the country.
“We have a common enemy: delinquency, drug trafficking, and organized crime. We are going to fight them with three new urgent measures,” said the president in a message to the nation on national television.
Lasso indicated that a decree was modified to authorize the possession and carrying of civilian weapons for personal defense by the requirements of the law and regulations.
In addition, the use of pepper spray for personal defense is authorized, and the production, registration, and possession of handmade weapons are prohibited.
In this context, controls and a computerized registry will be established.
In addition, the president decreed a state of emergency in the provinces of Santa Elena (west), Los Ríos (center), and zone 8, which includes the cities of Guayaquil, Durán, and Samborondón, located in the coastal province of Guayas (southwest), plagued by crime and delinquency.
“We declare a state of exception with a curfew from 01:00 am to 05:00 am that seeks to solve the root problems. This, starting tomorrow, Sunday”, said Lasso.
Likewise, he announced that private security guards would support the National Police in surveillance and security tasks by carrying their weapons in the surroundings of their work posts.
Lasso, who has declared a frontal fight against drug trafficking, added that a unified command post (PMU) was formed in Guayaquil and will rotate in the provinces of Santa Elena and Los Ríos to face the citizen security crisis that the country is experiencing.
The PMU, under the leadership of the president, had its first working meeting this Saturday.
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“I will be clear and forceful: we will fight criminals with the full force of the law because our priority is your peace of mind,” said Lasso, noting that he shares the concern about insecurity.
The president stressed that his government is carrying out a “crusade for security”, combining all the forces of law and order: Armed Forces, National Police and Intelligence in favor of security, peace, and tranquility.
In his opinion, law enforcement on the streets is fundamental to locating and arresting criminals.
“We have identified 15 high-value targets, are following them, and are going to capture them. We have already arrested six high-value targets,” he said, referring to leaders of criminal gangs considered dangerous.