The Constitutional Court of Ecuador validated this Friday 10 of the 20 questions posed by President Daniel Noboa to be included in the plebiscite that the Government promotes and thus seek reforms in matters of security, justice, investment and work.
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On the other hand, six were rejected by the Constitutional Court, some for suggesting an increase in the president's power, while Four other questions must undergo additional analysis by the court, since they imply modifications to the Constitution.
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Among the questions admitted by the highest court of guarantees to be part of this popular consultation is which suggests that the Armed Forces control the entry of weapons and explosives around prisons.
He also approved the issue of increasing penalties for the crimes of terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, murder, hitmen (murder for hire), human trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, money laundering and illegal mining.
Also the issue regarding not allowing prison benefits to people convicted of the crimes of financing terrorism, drug production, illegal mining, kidnapping for ransom, illegal trafficking of weapons and explosives, recruitment of minors for criminal purposes, extortion, trafficking of influences and front men, among others.
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Other questions that passed the filter of the Constitutional Court raise classify as a crime the possession of weapons and ammunition that are for the exclusive use of the National Police or the Armed Forces and immediately allocate to the police and military all weapons confiscated for having been the material object of a crime.
Likewise, the question that proposes expropriating assets of illicit or unjustified origin by simplifying the procedure of the Organic Law of Asset Forfeiture was validated.
Neither pardons nor police and military courts
On the other hand, the Constitutional Court rejected six questions from being part of this popular consultation, including which proposes the creation of zones of national interest in which mining concessions are revoked to prevent the infiltration of illegal mining.
Nor did he validate the question that proposes reforming the penal code so that the president pardons police, military and prison agents who are accused of crimes related to the use of force against criminal suspects.
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Along with that, the approach so that police and military personnel to be tried by police and military courts in cases of alleged crimes committed in the exercise of their dutiesnor that these members of the security forces are not placed in preventive detention while they are processed.
The same negative opinion resulted from the question to evaluate the judges, with an audit of their asset declarations and the possibility that the president can qualify urgent bills beyond those on economic matters.
Extraditions will undergo second evaluation
Among the four questions that will be part of a second evaluation by the Constitutional Court is the one regarding allow the extradition of Ecuadorians, recognize international arbitration to promote foreign investment, regulate temporary and hourly contracts and establish specialized judiciaries in constitutional matters.
Initially the Government had presented a total of 21 questions, but withdrew before the Court's analysis the one that sought to allow casinos to operate again.
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The popular consultation was announced by Noboa after winning the presidential elections last year, with the intention of holding it in the first months of his mandate, which began in November 2023.
Most of the questions are raised in the context of the “internal armed conflict” that Noboa has declared against organized crime after a wave of attacks and violent acts attributed to these gangs, which the Government has come to consider terrorist groups and non-state belligerent actors.
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The authorities consider these gangs, mainly dedicated to drug trafficking, to be responsible for the exponential increase in homicides that Ecuador has had in recent years until it has become one of the most violent countries in the world, 45 intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.
EFE
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