“What does it take to be a policeman? To be a murderer by night and by day,” chanted hundreds of women gathered outside the National Police Headquarters in Quito this weekend to demand public policies against gender violence.

Ecuador is experiencing the worst insecurity crisis in its history, with 2,500 violent deaths reported up to September 2022, mostly linked to organized crime and drug trafficking.

Although analysts recognize that a country needs a police force to maintain the social order, reforming this force, both the operation and the training of agents, is essential in this Andean nation.

Bernal’s case exposed the problem even more, as the crime took place inside the Police School while several uniformed officers heard and knew about the crime, but none did anything about it.

At the same time, there is a great expectation as to how President Guillermo Lasso will respond to the ultimatum he gave to Police Commander Fausto Salinas to locate Caceres before October 2, and the accused is still at large.

Following Bernal’s murder, Lasso replaced Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo and appointed Juan Zapata, who promised to reform the police forces, but expressed his opposition to Salinas’ dismissal so as not to leave the police command “headless.”

pgh/iff/jf/avr