Eleven Ecuadorian Soldiers Sentenced Over Disappearance and Deaths of Four Boys in Guayaquil
In December 2024, eleven Ecuadorian soldiers were jailed for more than 34 years each following the disappearance and deaths of four boys aged between 11 and 15 in Guayaquil. The incident took place during a nighttime patrol amid a government crackdown on organised crime and states of emergency.
The boys reportedly left home to play football but were detained by the patrol, beaten, and forced to remove their clothes before being abandoned naked in Taura, approximately 19 miles south of Guayaquil. Days later, the charred bodies of the four children were identified, with autopsies showing injuries sustained prior to death.
One boy had called his father from Taura; although the father arrived soon after, he was unable to locate his son. Witness testimonies describe Taura as a dangerous and desolate area. Judge Jovanny Suarez stated that the patrol abandoned the minors despite knowing the area's risks.
Protests erupted in Guayaquil as the sentences were handed down, with demonstrators holding signs demanding justice for the victims. In addition to the eleven soldiers convicted, five others who assisted prosecutors were sentenced to 2.5 years. A lieutenant colonel accused of complicity, but not part of the patrol, was declared innocent.
Lawyers for the soldiers argued that the prosecution’s evidence was inconclusive and claimed the patrol members were sent out without proper training and left the minors alive in Taura.
Ecuador’s authorities continue to face challenges with powerful drug cartels. President Daniel Noboa has declared states of emergency and ordered soldiers to patrol the streets in response to ongoing security concerns.
