Ecuador National Assembly advances laws to combat organized crime

Antimafia Law organized crime Ecuador National Assembly military police cooperation asset forfeiture

Ecuador's National Assembly has advanced two major legislative fronts to combat organized crime. First, the Assembly approved a law in its second debate allowing the Armed Forces to provide exceptional, temporary, and subsidiary support to the National Police. This mechanism, which does not require a state of exception, can be activated when police capabilities are overwhelmed by grave threats. The intervention must be authorized by an executive decree from the President and must specify the territory, time, and scope of operations.

Simultaneously, the Security Commission approved the first debate report for the Antimafia Law. This proposal seeks to strengthen the state's capacity to fight criminal structures through reforms to the Organic Integral Penal Code and the Law of Asset Forfeiture. Key provisions include criminalizing membership in criminal groups—punishable by three to five years of imprisonment—and establishing harsher penalties of up to 13 years for high-level participation. The law also targets the financial power of mafias by proposing expedited processes for the seizure of perishable assets and introduces sanctions for lawyers found to be involved in corruption within the justice system.

Entities

ADN · Armed Forces of Ecuador · Asamblea Nacional de Ecuador · Ecuador · Inés Alarcón · National Assembly of Ecuador · National Police of Ecuador

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 2 SOURCES] The legislation includes reforms to the Law of Asset Forfeiture to allow for expedited processes regarding perishable seized assets. fmmundo.com · www.expreso.ec
[○ 1 SOURCE] Membership in criminal structures could be punished with three to five years of imprisonment. cerolatitud.ec
[● 2 SOURCES] The law proposes sanctions for lawyers involved in corruption, including the potential loss of their professional license. cerolatitud.ec · fmmundo.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The Security Commission approved the report for the first debate of the Antimafia Law with eight votes in favor. machalamovil.com · cerolatitud.ec · fmmundo.com · www.expreso.ec
[● 2 SOURCES] The legislative project consists of 23 articles, with 21 proposing reforms to the Organic Integral Penal Code. cerolatitud.ec · fmmundo.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The proposal includes prison sentences that could reach up to 13 years depending on the level of participation. machalamovil.com
[● 2 SOURCES] The National Assembly approved a law allowing the Armed Forces to provide exceptional, temporary, and subsidiary support to the National Police to combat organized crime. aldiaonline.net · informatemanabi.com
[● 2 SOURCES] Military intervention requires a grave threat, technical reports, a pronouncement from Cosepe, and an executive decree from the President. aldiaonline.net · informatemanabi.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Antimafia Law includes reforms to the Law of Asset Forfeiture to allow for expedited processes regarding perishable seized assets. fmmundo.com