Ecuadorian officials have discussed imitating Spain’s model and creating a specialized court and prosecutors to tackle organized crime and terrorism, as part of ongoing reforms to the justice system.
At a conference held in Quito, Attorney General Galo Chiriboga said that there should be continuity between police investigating crimes like terrorism and drug trafficking, and the prosecutors that take the cases forward.
Ecuador is considering adapting the model of Spain’s National Court, which has jurisdiction over serious crimes in the country, including organized crime.
Angel Juanes Peces (photo, above), president of Spain’s National Court, stressed the important role that specialized teams of prosecutors have played in fighting organized crime in his country, by allowing the authorities to investigate and prosecute it more efficiently and quickly.
Chiriboga used the forum to announce the creation of a program to train Ecuadorian police and prosecutors in the technical aspects of forensic investigation. Ecuador’s Minister of Justice, Johana Pesantez, also revealed that the government would be presenting a new law that includes a clear definition of organized crime.
As InSight Crime has reported, Ecuador is facing a threat from increased activity of transnational criminal groups in the country.