Quito (EFE).- Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa signed a decree on Thursday granting immunity to foreign personnel participating in operations within the «internal armed conflict» declared against organized crime in the country, in accordance with international agreements signed by the Andean nation.
In the decree, Noboa notes that the state will receive international cooperation to bolster efforts to neutralize threats fueling the «war» he declared on mafia groups in January 2024, amid rising criminality driven by gangs involved in drug trafficking, illegal mining, and extortion.
Ecuador already receives security support from the United States, the European Union, and others, with the US providing notable intelligence assistance.
The decree explicitly states that «foreign personnel from cooperating states participating in actions carried out within the framework of the internal armed conflict shall enjoy immunity in accordance with applicable international instruments and agreements» signed by Ecuador.
It notes that state actions within this conflict are aimed at neutralizing «all structures that pose a threat to national sovereignty, the state’s comprehensive security, public order, social peace, citizen security, and the protection of the population.»
