Lenín Moreno: At this moment we are missing three and we want them back immediately!
Ecuadornews:
At this moment we are three short and we want them back immediately! “Said the president of Ecuador Lenin Moreno on Thursday afternoon, when making an evaluation of the actions taken after the kidnapping of El Comercio’s journalistic team.
“The extreme permissiveness that had been achieved during the previous administration allowed them (the drug traffickers) to move quietly on our roads, which they could not do on the Colombian roads,” the president said in the evaluation of the latest incidents in the province of Esmeraldas, which has already left at least 22 detainees.
“We are constantly talking, through intermediaries, about their status. I was very sorry that a video was broadcast about our three journalists … “, said the president when commenting on the pronouncement of the Ecuadorian Episcopal Conference that asks to consider a prisoner exchange in exchange for the lives of the hostages. He thanked for the contribution of the representatives of the catholic church, but said that they are evaluating all the options, and in case it is viable the exchange will have to enable legal processes.
“We are going to make Javier (Ortega), Paul Rivas) and Efraín (Segarra) come back alive. It is our national high priority. As President, I commit all my efforts so that this can be achieved, “Moreno said.
Security Counseling
“Our armed forces and police forces have played an active role in trying to prevent this dangerous, pernicious habit of trafficking drugs from going forward,” he said, adding that in the face of insecurity on the northern border, he appointed a Security Counselor with senior officers. in passive service. They are directly providing me with information that has allowed me to make 5 decisions:
- The Ministry will have 30 days to present a National Intelligence and counterintelligence plan, a National Border Defense Plan and a Security Plan for strategic facilities.
- Join efforts and wills to face with unity, courage and decision the threats to the security of the State and its people.
- He arranged for the Foreign Service to work on strengthening the strategy for the region to show its solidarity and support to Ecuador, since this problem of insecurity on the border is a threat to the peace and stability of the region.
- Maintain an open channel of communication with the president of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, to coordinate the threat level at the common border.
- Declare in permanent session the Public Security Council and the State to respond immediately to the needs of national defense. (I)