Ecuador Detains 16 Soldiers for Forced Disappearance and Death of Four Minors in Taura

Dec 31, 2024, 09:20 PM

In Ecuador, a judge has ordered the detention of 16 soldiers from the Ecuadorian Air Force, charged with the forced disappearance of four minors who went missing on December 8 in Guayaquil. The minors, identified as Steven Medina, Josué Arroyo, Ismael Arroyo, and Saúl Arboleda, aged between 11 and 15, were last seen playing football in the Las Malvinas sector of the city. The Ecuadorian Attorney General's office confirmed that the charred bodies found near a military base in Taura correspond to these missing children, indicating they were detained by a military patrol on December 8 and later killed. The soldiers face charges of forced disappearance, with potential additional charges of murder pending further investigation. The case has sparked widespread outrage and calls for justice in Ecuador, with the government declaring three days of national mourning.