González, who called her strategy Plan P.R.O.T.E.G.E., referred Monday at a press round in the province of Esmeraldas to the wave of violence currently gripping the country.

She explained that Ecuador has gone from being one of the safest countries in the Americas to having a 800 percent increase in homicides this year, when more than 600 murders have been committed nationwide.

In her words, the Plan has six axes to be immediately implemented, through such measures as the massive deployment of police and armed forces, permanent patrols, facial recognition devices and an advanced intelligence strategy.

González insisted on the need to attack the roots of the problem, by launching social and educational programs that generate opportunities for young people and reduce structural violence.

“We are going to give peace to our country,” emphasized González, who also asserted that her proposal “does not come from the declaration of war.”

Currently, Ecuador is suffering from a security crisis and is considered one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America.

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