Document #1122630
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
Specific information on organized crime in
Ecuador could not be found among the sources consulted by the
Research Directorate.
However, according to a 10 September 1996
InterPress Service (IPS) report, former president Bucaram signed a
decree against crime and announced that custom posts would be
militarized as a means to curb contraband.
According to the Associated Press (AP), a
congressional anti-drug trafficking commission was established in
May 1997 following the arrest of an Ecuadorian buisnessman for an
alleged smuggling operation to Europe (11 July 1997). The same
report adds that the commission was set up to investigate to what
extent money generated by drug sales had penetrated the political
landscape in Ecuador (ibid.). Additional information on the
government's National Congress Drug Trafficking Investigation
Commission can be found in the attached 1 September, 30 July and 5
March 1997 Voz de los Andes reports.
Two other Voz de los Andes reports
state that Ecuador signed cooperation agreements with Paraguay and
with the United States to assist the government to combat drug
trafficking (26 Aug. 1997; 26 June 1997). With the United States
government, Ecuador signed an agreement to establish a "Port and
Airport Information Section," which will come under the
jurisdiction of the Intelligence and Joint Coordination Center of
Ecuador's national police (ibid., 26 June 1997). Please consult the
attached document for additional information on the Ecuador's Port
and Airport Information Section.
The attached 6 September 1997 El
Universo report states that the Ecuadorian government approved
reforms to the Law on Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances that
will permit it to divert funds from the sale of goods and
properties seized by drug traffickers to anti-drug initiatives. For
example, the initiative will divert 50 per cent of the funds to
police efforts to fight drug trafficking (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the
list of additional sources consulted in researching this
Information Request.
References
The Associated Press (AP). 11 July 1997.
Carlos Cisternas. "Ecuador's Judges, Politicans Implicated in Drug
Scandal." (NEXIS)
El Universo [Guayaquil, in
Spanish]. 6 September 1997. "Ecuador: Congress Approves Sale of
Drug Traffickers' Assets." (FBIS-TDD-97-253/WNC)
InterPress Service (IPS). 10 September
1996. Mario Gonzalez. "Ecuador: Bucaram Ends a Month With Football,
Music and Diplomacy." (NEXIS)
Voz de los Andes [Quito, in
Spanish]. 26 August 1997. "Alarcon Ends Brief Visit to Paraguay;
Uruguay, Chile Next." (FBIS-LAT-97-238/WNC)
_____. 26 June 1997. "Minister on Drug
Enforcement Agreement With US, Corruption."
(FBIS-TDD-97-178/WNC)
Attachments
The Associated Press (AP). 11 July 1997.
Carlos Cisternas. "Ecuador's Judges, Politicans Implicated in Drug
Scandal." (NEXIS)
El Universo [Guayaquil, in
Spanish]. 6 September 1997. "Ecuador: Congress Approves Sale of
Drug Traffickers' Assets." (FBIS-TDD-97-253/WNC)
Voz de los Andes [Quito, in
Spanish]. 1 September 1997. "Commission: Ecuador Launders About $25
Billion Annually." (FBIS-TDD-97-248/WNC)
_____. 30 July 1997. "Congressman Says
Ecuador Has Become Drug Producing Country."
(FBIS-TDB-97-211/WNC)
_____. 26 June 1997. "Minister on Drug
Enforcement Agreement With US, Corruption."
(FBIS-TDD-97-178/WNC)
_____. 5 March 1997. "Money Laundering
Commission Refutes U.S. Criticism." (FBIS-LAT-97-067/WNC)
Additional Sources Consulted
Amnesty International Report
1997. 1997.
Andean Newsletter [Lima].
1997.
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practice for 1996. 1997.
Latinamerica Press [Lima].
1997.
Latin American Weekly Reports
[London]. 1997.
Latin American Regional Reports:
Southern Cone Report [London]. 1997.
Latin American Weekly Reports:
Special Reports [London]. 1997.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases,
Global News Bank, Internet, REFWORLD (UNHCR database), World News
Connection (WNC).