QUITO: Ecuador’s constitutional court has suspended a presidential decree seeking to establish a special body for toughening laws against drug trafficking and organised crime.
The suspension remains effective while the court evaluates five claims of unconstitutionality against the proposed measure.
This decision deepens the ongoing crisis between President Daniel Noboa and the judiciary, which has previously blocked several of his policies on rights grounds.
“The Court is not the enemy of the people. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is the guardian of their rights,“ the court stated in response to massive protests led by the president.
Noboa proposed a referendum last Wednesday to approve the creation of a Constituent Assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution featuring stricter laws to tackle drug gangs.
The resulting document would then be submitted to a separate popular vote for final approval.
The president has made multiple attempts to bypass the court and call directly for a popular vote without prior judicial review on forming a Constituent Assembly.
Ecuador serves as the departure point for 70% of the world’s cocaine supply, nestled between the largest producers Colombia and Peru.
This strategic location has attracted criminal gangs from across the region, transforming the nation’s security landscape.
Noboa secured reelection in April as voters endorsed his iron-fisted approach to rampant cartel violence that has dramatically increased national insecurity.
The president maintains an alliance with US President Donald Trump, sharing similar hardline policies on organised crime and drug trafficking. – AFP
