Disappearance and death of Dana Ramos, 8, in the municipality of Riobamba, in the Ecuadorian highlands, as well as what happened to sisters Briana and Antonela Campo, 3 and 10, respectively, assassinated in Tulcán, have caused great dismay.

The Ombudsman César Córdova mourned the recent incidents and called on the Government to roll our necessary public policies to protect children and ensure them a decent quality of life.

The Government invests 3.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in children, when the average Latin American standard is 6%, Córdova said in an interview on Monday with Radio Pichincha.

In his opinion, the presence of the State must be guaranteed, and basic services including drinking water, access to health and education, must be ensured to children.

“We must get our children out of organized crime and provide them with basic services,” said the Ombudsman in reference to the number of minors recruited by criminal gangs amid the rise of organized crime.

Figures from the Ecuadorian Interior Ministry referred to the killing of 770 children and adolescents in 2023, a drastic rise compared to the 104 cases in 2019.

Last January, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) issued a warning on the toll of violent deaths of minors.

UNICEF expressed its deep concern about the disruption of basic services in gang-controlled areas, which not only puts more children at risk of being recruited, but cuts off access to health, education and protection for hundreds of thousands.

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