The Ecuadorians They will go to the polls on Sunday to vote in a referendum proposed by the country's president, Daniel Noboa, who has asked voters to approve measures to address the spiral of violence.
While recent polls suggest that a majority of Ecuadorians plan to vote in favor of the 11 questions, critics say the referendum is unnecessary and will allow Noboa to push other areas of his agenda while citing the need to increase security.
What does the referendum include?
The 11 questions mainly refer to safety. One asks voters to allow the military to patrol with police, while others would allow the extradition of accused criminals and increase prison sentences for crimes such as terrorism and murder, among other issues, if approved.
Another measure would allow hourly workers to be hired, while considering recognizing international arbitration in business disputes.
Five of the questions would modify the Constitution of Ecuador if they were approved by voters, while the rest will have to be processed in the National Assembly for their validity.
Critics say the economic measures would lead to a decline in workers' rights and excessively benefit international companies.
The vote is a measure of voters' confidence in Noboa's management, according to pollsters and analysts.
Recent polls revealed that a majority of voters plan to approve the questions.
Noboa has said that approval of the measures is vital to combating crime and strengthening security in Ecuador, where homicides and other crimes have skyrocketed.
Why has security worsened in Ecuador?
Security in Ecuador has worsened since the coronavirus pandemic, which also hit the Andean nation's economy, and the government blames the growing reach of drug trafficking gangs, which have destabilized swathes of South America.
The number of violent deaths rose to 7,994 in 2023, according to police, almost two-thirds more than the 2022 figure.
Violence entered the political arena last year when anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated.
Additionally, at least 22 local officials have been murdered across the country since last year, according to the Ecuadorian Municipal Association (AME), while dozens more have sought police protection.
Inside Ecuador's prisons, criminal gangs have taken advantage of weak state control to expand their power. Prison violence has become increasingly common, causing hundreds of deaths in incidents that authorities have attributed to battles between gangs for control of prisons.
How has the government tackled the problem?
Noboa, 36, took power in November and has been promoting his $800 million “Phoenix Plan” to build a new intelligence unit, supply tactical weapons to security forces, build new high-security prisons and reinforce security in ports and airports.
Noboa declared 22 criminal groups as terrorist organizations, paving the way for the military to conduct operations against them.
Operations have continued under a presidential decree, even after the end of a 90-day state of emergency earlier this month.
According to the Ministry of Defense, joint security forces carried out 272,000 operations during the state of emergency that began on January 9.
In February, Noboa won a legislative VAT increase to finance security spending.
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