Ecuadorian court will set a sentence for the forced disappearance of four minors by December 22

Published at: 16/12/2025 11:27 AM

On December 22, the Criminal Court of Guayaquil, in Ecuador, will issue a judgment in the Las Malvinas case, in which 17 soldiers are accused of the forced disappearance and subsequent murder of four minors of African origin, which occurred on December 8, 2024.

During the final phase of the process, the State Attorney General's Office requested 34 years and eight months of imprisonment for the alleged direct perpetrators, in addition to economic sanctions and symbolic reparation measures for families.

The Prosecutor's Office also requested differentiated penalties for those who would have acted as accomplices or collaborators.

Four members of the Ecuadorian Air Force were identified as direct perpetrators and are at risk of receiving the same penalty requested for the rest of the group, along with full compensation that includes the payment of 376,000 dollars, the identification of the place where the minors were detained and the implementation of human rights training programs.

In an additional indictment, the Prosecutor's Office requested seven years and four months in prison for Lieutenant Colonel Juan Francisco, who was being investigated for alleged complicity, and 34 years for Second Lieutenant John Henry Z. E., who was primarily responsible for taking the children to an isolated area of Taura and inflicting physical aggression and threats on them.

According to what was published on the Telesur web portal, the case continues to attract great public attention due to the seriousness of the events and the fact that the victims are minors, which has intensified the national and international call for justice and for clear accountability in one of the most serious cases of human rights violations recorded recently in Ecuador.

Mazo News Team