Once the official and final results of last Sunday’s consultations are published, President Daniel Noboa will have five days to send the bills to the Legislature involving legal reforms in criminal matters and public security.

The proposal made by the president seeks that the armed forces carry out permanent weapon controls at the entrances to prisons, increase sentences for tens of crimes, that those sentenced for a dozen crimes complete their sentence in prison, outlaw the possession of weapons for military and police use, that public forces may use weapons confiscated from criminals, and that assets of illicit origin be quickly transferred to the State.

The National Assembly will prepare a report that will go to the first plenary debate and the assembly members will make their suggestions; the document will later return to the parliamentary Working Tables to collect the legislators’ observations and will subsequently go to the second and final debate in the Assembly.

This Monday, Noboa thanked the results of the referendum, although they reflect citizen concern about insecurity over support for the president’s proposal.

Ecuadorians approved nine questions regarding security issues and rejected two related to hourly work and international arbitration.

In the opinion of economist Alberto Acosta, the defense of national sovereignty and labor rights prevailed, as well as the fear caused by growing insecurity, which will not find a way out with more repression and penal populism.

jrr/llp/oda/nta