In a press conference Buenaño said the police force has successfully investigated 979 kidnappings and 6, 404 extortions, for which 1,236 people have been detained.

He also reported that last Monday 288 police officers in charge of security for the presidential pairings of the 2025 general elections were introduced to the public. “They will count on all the appropriate logistics to perform their duties,” he added.

For his part, the Minister of Defense, Gian Carlo Loffredo, availed himself of the opportunity to request support for the Minister of the Interior, Monica Palencia, who will stand a political trial tomorrow at the National Assembly, for failing to fulfill her duties in the midst of the wave of insecurity currently haunting the nation.

Earlier, President Daniel Noboa canceled his trip to Brazil so as “not to leave Minister Palencia alone” during her political trial.

In addition to failure to deal with security issues, Palencia faces charges linked to the raid into the Mexican embassy on April 5, when Ecuadorian officers broke into the diplomatic headquarters to arrest former vice president Jorge Glas.

According to the country’s Presidency, violent deaths have decreased by 17.5 percent this year, following the imposition of the state of exception and the declaration of internal armed conflict, but crimes still persist.

So far, 2024 has been the second most violent year in the history of Ecuador, with more than five thousand homicides committed from January to October.

ied/ebr/nta