Ecuador: Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell in the EP Plenary on the state of emergency

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President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,  

Today, I do not want to just express our deep concern about the situation in Ecuador but, above all, express our solidarity with the people of Ecuador and our firm condemnation for the violence and criminal attacks carried out by armed groups in Ecuador. 

On 10 January, gangs rioted in prisons attacked security forces and invaded a live TV news broadcast. 

Violence concentrated in Guayaquil - one of the major Latin American ports in the Pacific and an important export hub for drugs - where at least eight people were killed, as gunmen looted businesses and entered public buildings, including five hospitals. Coordinated uprisings took place in several penitentiaries, resulting in 141 members of prison staff being held hostage and in a mass outbreak of prisoners. 

As the country plunged into violence, the President, Daniel Noboa, declared a “state of internal armed conflict”. This allows him to widely mobilise the armed forces in the fight against organised crime. He designated 22 criminal groups as “terrorist organisations” and instructed the armed forces and police to fight them. The National Assembly approved the decree by unanimity, in a display of unity and support to the government. 

On 8 January, President Noboa had already declared a ‘state of emergency’ after one of Ecuador’s most-wanted criminals escaped from prison. Adolfo Macías, alias Fito, founder and convicted leader of the Choneros gang, vanished from his cell in Guayaquil on 7 January, just before being transferred to a maximum-security facility. Since then, 329 people have been arrested. 

Ecuador has witnessed states of emergency before, due to the growing influence of gangs involved in drug trafficking, prison control, institutional corruption and the expansion into new criminal enterprises. However, President Noboa's declaration of armed conflict with gangs is unprecedented in the country’s history.  

The European Union supports Ecuador and its government and democratic institutions in their efforts to restore public order, defend the rule of law, protect human rights, and guarantee citizen security. Organised crime poses a direct threat to the resilience of public institutions and to the democracy, prosperity and social cohesion of Ecuador. It must not be allowed to prevail.  

The European Union categorically condemns this wave of violence. We reiterate our solidarity with Ecuador, its government and its people, and express solidarity with the victims. We will work with Ecuador to strengthen our cooperation, financial assistance and collaboration with European law enforcement and investigation agencies to reinforce Ecuador’s ability to fight against transnational organised crime. 

This fight is not just a national issue – it is an international challenge that impacts directly on the European Union and our societies and requires coordinated efforts on a global scale: from the countries of origin to those of transit and final destination of drugs and the illegal benefits, including tax havens. The transnational nature of these criminal networks demands that we all, including us in Europe, pool resources, intelligence and expertise to fight and eradicate them. 

Drug trafficking and organised crime linked to it are a threat to all societies, their prosperity, security and democracy. Europe needs to reinforce its cooperation with partners in [the] fight against drug trafficking in Ecuador and elsewhere. Ecuador may seem very far away from Europe, but in today’s interconnected world we need to pull efforts and resources to defend our societies and democracies against organised crime. 

Honourable Members, 

The European Union started to strengthen its cooperation with Ecuador on security matters, including the fight against transnational organised crime, years ago. This includes both policy dialogue and concrete cooperation assistance. 

In 2023, the European Union signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ecuador that will allow us to deepen cooperation on various policy areas, including on security. 

Last autumn, EUROPOL signed a Working Agreement with the Ministry of Interior of Ecuador, which will strengthen real-time cooperation. 

In February 2023, Commissioner Johansson visited Ecuador with the Belgian Minister of Interior, Annelies Verlinden. They met with the President and several Ministers - Foreign Affairs, Interior and Defence - and they visited the port of Contecon in Guyaquil. The visit reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to support the security sector in Ecuador through our regional programmes ELPacCTO, Copolad, Eurofront, and Seacop. Specific cooperation activities, including emergency support for prison security and assistance for port security in Guayaquil initiated since 2023 – and these are recent examples. In addition, the negotiations of the EU Agreement with Ecuador on the exchange of data with Europol, which will bring the operational cooperation to the next level, are ongoing. 

But we must do more and that is why we plan to mobilise new funds for 2024 to build up state and community resilience in some of the most affected areas of the country.  

I will stop here. Looking forward to your remarks. 

Thank you very much. 

Link to the video (starting as of 00:35): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-251505 

Closing remarks  

President, Honourable Members, 

The debate today illustrated the importance and complexity of the situation in Ecuador.  

Tackling the crisis in Ecuador will require addressing the immediate security situation, as well as the socio-political and structural problems that have fuelled the violence over past years. Corruption, poverty, lack of opportunities, and social inequalities are breeding grounds for criminal activities.  

As we collaborate with the Ecuadorian government in its efforts to restore order, we will also continue looking together into long-term solutions, allowing the people in Ecuador, especially children and teenagers, to live free from the shadow of organised crime and prosper in a peaceful, secure and democratic country. 

Thank you. 

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-251508