Ecuador: It was the military. I saw them: Enforced disappearances in Ecuador at the hands of the armed forces

In this research briefing, Amnesty International analyses five cases of enforced disappearance that occurred in Ecuador in 2024, in the context of the militarized security strategy promoted by President Daniel Noboa.
In recent years, the Ecuadorian authorities decided to address public security challenges with a massive deployment of their armed forces. The strategy, currently known as the “Plan Fenix”, is sustained by successive states of emergency and the declaration of a supposed situation of “internal armed conflict”.
The Ecuadorian authorities have opted for the militarization of public security, in violation of international law and standards. This has resulted in allegations of serious human rights violations and crimes under international law, such as extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and torture and other ill-treatment.