Ecuador enacts law penalizing unauthorized use of police and military uniforms

On 1 July 2026 Ecuador published a new organic reform law aimed at preventing the criminal use of public uniforms, insignia and other identification elements of the police, armed forces and other security entities. Approved by the National Assembly on 9 June and signed by President Daniel Noboa, the legislation contains twenty articles that increase penalties for possessing or selling unauthorized uniforms – from one to three years in prison – and raise them to three to five years when the items are used to deceive third parties or simulate official operations.

The law also amends the Organic Law of the Comptroller General, granting the Comptroller authority to order the secure deletion, destruction or erasure of physical and digital documents classified as reserved, secret or top‑secret, provided the material is not linked to pending judicial processes or ongoing investigations. The Comptroller must act within thirty days of a request. Additionally, the measure obliges broadcast media to devote one daily hour to programs on public safety, civic education and proper identification of security uniforms.