Ecuador debates law that would allow shooting down narco-aircraft

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – In the Ecuadorian congress, a bill was presented that allows the Ecuadorian Air Force to intervene with force to any aircraft flying without authorization, flight plan, or contact in a hostile manner or illegally in Ecuador.

This new regulation would empower the military forces to shoot down drug-carrying planes, which frequently circulate in Ecuadorian airspace.

Currently, the legislation allows the shooting down of aircraft within the country’s borders only in the event of a war or international crisis and in situations where there is a threat to the sovereignty of the State.

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According to the bill, to detect an aircraft being hostile, at least twelve factors related to authorization, identification, and communication with the plane must be evaluated.

If the aircraft or light aircraft is declared hostile, the Air Force will use force through persuasion, neutralization, or shooting it down. The bill also states that a drone may be considered a hostile aircraft.

The possibility of shooting down aircraft will be considered only as a last resort, according to the bill.

If, after applying persuasion measures, such as communication through radio and signage, or when tracer munitions have already been used, the Air Force may shoot down, with a direct shot at the aircraft, to cause damage that will prevent it from continuing to fly.

Once the aircraft is shot down, the entity must send the confirmation of the operation and its information to the National Police, the Attorney General’s Office and Criminalistics, so that the legal procedures may continue.

Legislator Johanna Moreira, from the Izquierda Democrática party, was the one who presented the bill which, according to El Universo, will allow “the identification of an irregular aircraft, the interception and even the shooting down of the same, as a final action on our sovereignty; sending a clear message to those criminal groups in the country, especially Mexican and Colombian cartels operating in Ecuador.”

The proposed law should follow international concepts and protocols for the process of interception and shoot down. In addition, it must follow the procedure for the creation of legislation in Ecuador.

It must first be qualified by the Legislative Administration Council, the most important body of the National Assembly. If the proposal is allowed, it will be sent to one of the congressional commissions to analyze it and submit a report.

Suppose the report is approved within the commission, and it is suggested that the proposal be passed to the plenary, then in a plenary session. In that case, the legislators will debate the proposal twice until it is approved and filed.

If approved, it will be sent to the President, who has the option to veto the law in whole or in part.

Ecuador seeks to fight drug trafficking that has settled in the country. Although Ecuador does not produce drugs, it is one of the main routes to ship these substances to Central America, North America, and Europe. The drugs are generally shipped from the country’s ports. Also, in recent weeks, seizures at sea have been frequent.

For example, last weekend, off the coast of Manabí, a boat was abandoned after it was discovered by Navy personnel. More than 800 packages of drugs, equivalent to 900 kilos, were found upon searching the vessel.

Likewise, the Armed Forces installed a new radar to detect drug planes; this was carried out in the coastal province of Manabí, where the canton Montecristi is located, 395 kilometers from Quito, the capital of Ecuador.

Between 2019 and 2020, small planes related to drug trafficking have fallen in the communities of Montecristi. In the same period, the Armed Forces detected two clandestine runways for the takeoff of aircraft. The discoveries have occurred in areas directly to the Cerro Montecristi, where surveillance systems have been strengthened.