2024-03-25 14:25:05
The attorney general, Diana Salazar, assures in an interview with EFE that “a good part of the State has been infiltrated” by organized crime and drug trafficking, a situation that weeks ago led the President of the Republic, Daniel Noboa, to recognize the existence of an “internal armed conflict” revealed in the criminal escalation that has placed the country among the most violent in Latin America.
As an example of this infiltration, Salazar mentioned the Metastasis case, which at the end of 2023 revealed an alleged plot of judicial, police and prison corruption in favor of criminal structures, after accessing the information contained in the cell phone of the alleged drug trafficker and money launderer. money Leandro Norero, murdered in 2022 in the Latacunga prison. “’Metastasis’ is a clear x-ray of how organized crime has permeated many State institutions.
In this case we have defendants from the National Court and provincial courts of Justice, from the Judicial Council, from the National Police, from the Prosecutor’s Office itself, lawyers, individuals and more, all of them working in exchange for ‘narco’ money,” explains Salazar in statements sent in writing.
At permanent risk
During the last few months, Diana Salazar has reported death threats and even a plan to end her life, as happened on January 17 with prosecutor César Suárez, who was in charge of the investigation of several high-profile criminal cases. among them the recent takeover of the TC Television channel by an armed commando. The intimidations “are a risk that all citizens run who do not want a country controlled by ‘narco’ or criminals and who do something to change the current reality,” he considers.
“As attorney general, the personal risk is much greater, because – in some way – it is standing up to all criminals,” says Diana Salazar, whose daily life has changed radically due to the risk she constantly runs. “It’s like living under house arrest. I have repeated it on several occasions, not because I owe someone something, but because crime will seek revenge. But I have faith that everything will turn out well,” confesses the attorney general, who has held the position since 2019.
Salazar, who has earned the nickname “iron lady” for her firmness, assures that despite everything she does not lose hope. “Not everything is lost, but it is time to act and that is what we are doing as an institution,” she emphasizes.
“We are doing our job to get out of this very difficult moment (…), the people who have not been taken by drug trafficking are the majority in State institutions; If we act articulately, we will get the country out of this,” he emphasizes. After several prosecutors have been murdered by criminal gangs, all public ministry officials who request security have it, so that in this way “they feel supported by the institution in the prosecution of crimes.” Regarding the victims and witnesses, the prosecutor recalls that the protection system “has been declared in emergency for almost two years, due to the lack of resources.”
“However,” he points out, “we work with the same premises as always: safeguarding the life and integrity of people during and after criminal proceedings, to obtain justice.”
“No one is above the law”
Asked about the complaints made by several NGOs about alleged human rights violations committed by members of the Armed Forces during their interventions in prisons, Salazar emphasizes: “no one is above the Law.
“The Prosecutor’s Office investigates all the facts of which it is aware at the request of a party and ex officio.” “Due to the decree (which declares the ‘internal armed conflict’), the Police and the Armed Forces act without the need for a fiscal agent to be present,” he details. Once agents or soldiers conclude their work, they put the results of their actions in the hands of the competent authority with the elements they have found, so that the prosecution can continue with the work, he explains.
“That is the coordination there is: complying with the law, with the times, so that actions are taken accordingly, without violating people’s rights, and that sentences are achieved with the respective investigations. Each institution fulfills its powers,” he assures. Diana Salazar is grateful for the international support for the situation that Ecuador is experiencing and highlights that the Prosecutor’s Office has strengthened cooperation with other countries “with the aim of confronting transnational organized crime, because that is one of the fundamental axes in this fight.” , he emphasizes.
“Part of the nature of this type of crime is that it knows no borders (…), in order to combat it it is imperative that the States help each other,” concludes the prosecutor, who gives as an example the recent hit on the Albanian mafia in a joint operation between Ecuador and Spain that dismantled a network that sent large quantities of cocaine to Europe and had a network of companies to launder millions of dollars.