A court in Ecuador has sentenced 11 soldiers to 34 years in prison for the abuse and enforced disappearance of four children from Guayaquil, in a case that has shaken the nation and intensified scrutiny of military-led crime control operations.
Children vanished during security patrol
The children — Steven Medina, Nehemias Arboleda, and brothers Ismael and Josue Arroyo, aged between 11 and 15 — were last seen on December 8, 2024, while heading towards a neighbourhood sports field. Their charred bodies were discovered on December 31 in a remote, swampy rural area.
The court also sentenced five additional soldiers who cooperated with prosecutors to two-and-a-half years in prison.
Court finds grave abuse, not murder
Testimonies revealed that the boys were beaten, subjected to mock executions, forced to strip, and later abandoned naked in a dangerous and isolated area. However, the soldiers were acquitted of murder charges.
Delivering the verdict, Judge Jovanny Suarez stated that the patrol knowingly left the minors in an area that was “dangerous, desolate, and abandoned”.
The defence argued that prosecutors failed to present conclusive evidence and claimed the soldiers were inadequately trained and had released the boys alive.
National outrage over militarised policing
The case sparked nationwide outrage and renewed criticism of President Daniel Noboa’s “Phoenix Plan”, under which the military was deployed internally to combat escalating gang violence.
Human rights groups have repeatedly warned that the strategy has led to serious abuses without effectively curbing crime.
In September, Amnesty International reported a rise in enforced disappearances since Noboa assumed office in 2023, noting at least 43 people reported missing following military operations.
“Enforced disappearances are multiplying in Ecuador while the government insists on a militarised strategy that has increased human rights violations,” said Ana Piquer, Amnesty’s Americas director.
The organisation also accused the armed forces of obstructing investigations by withholding information.
A landmark case for accountability
The sentencing marks a rare instance of accountability for military abuses in Ecuador and has renewed calls for civilian oversight, human rights protections, and a reassessment of the country’s security strategy.