QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Less than 48 hours into his term, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on Friday repealed controversial guidelines put in place a decade ago by the country’s left that eliminated penalties for people found carrying illegal items Drugs were found in certain quantities.
Noboa’s decision fulfilled a campaign promise to combat drug trafficking. The consequences of the illegal trade, particularly cocaine, are keeping Ecuadorians on edge, as murders, kidnappings, robberies, extortion and other crimes have reached unprecedented levels.
A statement from Noboa’s office announcing the move argued that the old guidelines “promoted petty trafficking” and called it a “detrimental element to Ecuadorian society.” Noboa also directed the Ministries of Interior and Public Health to develop “coordinated information, prevention and control programs on the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances” and to provide treatment and rehabilitation to “habitual and problematic occasional users.”
The guidelines were passed in 2013 during the presidency of Rafael Correa, arguing that illegal drug use was a public health problem and users should not be put in prison. The amounts used in the guidelines attempted to distinguish drug use from drug trafficking.
According to the parameters, a person is allowed to carry for personal use up to 10 grams of marijuana, 2 grams of cocaine paste, 1 gram of cocaine, 0.10 grams of heroin and 0.04 grams of amphetamine.
From the start, the guidelines were heavily criticized by Ecuador’s right-wing and the country’s conservative society in general.
It remained unclear how Noboa’s decision would be implemented. His predecessor, President Guillermo Lasso, announced his own decision in January 2021 to scrap the parameters, citing that they affected “young people and children,” but it was never implemented.
In addition, a ruling by Ecuador’s Constitutional Court requires judges to distinguish between consumers and traffickers when determining possible penalties. However, without the guidelines, it is unclear how they will make the distinction.
Noboa was sworn into office Thursday after defeating Luisa Gonzalez, a Correa mentee, in an Oct. 15 runoff. His term only runs until May 2025, i.e. until the remainder of Lasso’s term. Lasso shortened his term in office when he dissolved the National Assembly in May as lawmakers began impeachment proceedings against him.
Under Lasso’s watch, violent deaths in Ecuador skyrocketed, reaching a record 4,600 in 2022, double the number from the previous year.
The rise in violence is linked to the trafficking of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru. Mexican, Colombian and Balkan cartels have taken root in Ecuador and operate with the support of local criminal gangs.