Covering events from January-December 2001

Republic of Ecuador
Head of state and government: Gustavo Noboa Bejarano
Capital: Quito
Population: 12.9 million
Official language: Spanish
Death penalty: abolitionist for all crimes

Torture and ill-treatment, including death in custody, remained a concern. Dozens of people were killed in circumstances suggesting that they may have been extrajudicially executed. Threats against human rights defenders, as well as lawyers and witnesses in human rights cases, were frequent. Impunity remained institutionalized. There were serious concerns that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people suffered persecution and violence.

Background

Widespread protests continued against the government's economic program, which included extensive privatization of state-owned enterprises and designating the official currency as the US dollar. A state of emergency was declared for several weeks in February. Many trade unionists, indigenous people, students and community leaders were arrested by police, allegedly without arrest warrants, and detained for several days without being charged.

Indigenous people

In early February security forces in Tena violently evicted a group of indigenous people from the Puerto Napo church where they had assembled peacefully in opposition to the government's economic policies. Three civilians were shot dead and at least a dozen injured in what appeared to be excessive use of force by the police. Witnesses alleged that the security forces opened fire on the demonstrators. Relatives of those killed during the demonstrations received financial compensation from the authorities.

More than 3,000 indigenous people, including at least 350 children, took part in a demonstration at a university in Quito. They were allegedly intimidated and harassed by the police, who attempted to disperse them with tear gas.

Following these mass demonstrations the government offered to hold talks with indigenous organizations to discuss their concerns.

Plan Colombia

The US-backed principally military aid package known as Plan Colombia came into force (see Colombia entry) amid serious concerns about its possible impact on Ecuador as the conflict in Colombia spilled across the border. The large numbers of refugees entering Ecuador early in 2001 exacerbated these fears but the influx had reduced by the end of the year.

Cocaine processing laboratories as well as camps allegedly used by the Colombian armed opposition and paramilitary groups were discovered in Sucumbíos province. There was a high number of kidnappings in the region, particularly foreign oil workers. Indigenous groups fled the area and became internally displaced. They were alleged to have been threatened by unidentified Colombian armed groups from across the border, and also feared retaliation from security forces seeking the kidnappers.

Intimidation of human rights defenders

There were continued reports of threats and harassment of those working on human rights.

  • A number of human rights defenders and organizations received a series of death threats from a group called "White Legion", who accused them of being "shelters and recruitment centres for national and international subversion" .
  • Teresa Gladys Pita Bravo and Gino Cevallos Gonzales, the mother and lawyer of Elías Elint López who, together with Luis Alberto Shinin Laso, "disappeared" in 2000 after having been detained by the police in Tungurahua province, received threats in June and July. These stated that the two would suffer the same consequences if they continued with judicial proceedings against the police officers charged with the "disappearances".
Possible extrajudicial executions

Allegations continued that police officers were carrying out extrajudicial executions, particularly in Guayaquil where some 26 people were found dead in the city's outskirts during the first 10 months of the year. All had been shot in circumstances suggesting extrajudicial execution. Many appeared to have been tortured before being killed. One human rights organization stated that 65 bodies have been found in the area since 1999.
  • Joffre Aroca Palma was reportedly detained on 27 February by a police patrol in Guayaquil. His body was found abandoned some hours later with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Impunity

Concern remained that cases of human rights violations involving members of the security forces were not resolved promptly, impartially and independently. Many were brought before police courts where the vast majority of those accused of human rights violations are not convicted.
  • Eight police officers were charged with the "disappearance" in November 2000 of Elías Elint López and Luis Alberto Shinin Laso (see above). Their case was being heard before a police court.
  • Six police officers were charged with the killing of Pedro Ashanga Akintua and his son Germán Akintua Chup in December 2000. The two were reportedly shot dead at point blank range after being stopped with their families by 20 police officers on the road in Morona Santiago province. Their case was being heard before a police court.
Torture and ill-treatment

Torture and ill-treatment, including death in custody, remained a serious concern.
  • Luis Alfredo Redrobán was detained in April by police in Pillaro, Tungurahua province. He reportedly died at the police station after being severely beaten by officers.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people were victims of grave human rights violations throughout the year. AI documented cases of intimidation and death threats, torture and ill-treatment, and of attempted extrajudicial execution as well as of arbitrary arrest of people who had been detained on grounds of their sexuality.

AI country reports/visits

Reports
  • Ecuador: Torture and "disappearance" of Elías Elint López and Luis Alberto Shinin Laso (AI Index: AMR 28/008/2001)
  • Ecuador: Continued torture and ill-treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (AI Index: AMR 28/009/2001)
Visits

AI visited Ecuador in April and June, to conduct research and to launch a report on the torture and ill-treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

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