UNICEF expressed concern about a new law approved in Ecuador that toughens penalties against minors

Published at: 25/06/2025 01:26 PM

The National Assembly (AN) of Ecuador approved the Organic Law on Public Integrity, a regulation promoted by President Daniel Noboa that includes the tightening of penalties for minors; which raised concern on the part of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

UNICEF described the reforms as regressive for the juvenile criminal justice system and that they “seriously affect adolescents”.

The text of the law addresses four main axes, including the eradication of criminal networks that threaten the country's children, where penalties of up to fifteen years of deprivation of liberty are established for minors who commit serious crimes related to organized crime.

This initiative seeks to dissuade teenagers, given the proliferation of their recruitment by criminal gangs. Noboa declared war on these gangs in early 2024 to combat the escalation of criminal violence in the country.

As part of this initiative, Interior Minister John Reimberg confirmed that more than 3,500 minors were arrested last year as part of security actions against these gangs.

In this regard, UNICEF emphasized that these types of measures “have not proven to be effective in combating insecurity.”

Mazo News Team