Police agents violated the human rights of the protesters and have even committed extrajudicial executions. He said it in the framework of the impeachment against Romo.
The head of the Ombudsman’s Office, Freddy Carrión, concluded that, during the October 2019 protests, there was excessive use of force by the police and the military, which was demonstrated by the deaths and injuries caused by these violent actions.
Carrión went, telematically, before the Supervision Commission where he delivered his testimony, as evidence of the charge, requested by the legislator Amapola Naranjo, within the political trial against the Minister of Government, María Paula Romo.
He noted that 1,340 injured people were registered, at least 20 people lost their eyes due to the impacts of tear gas and pellets, in addition to deaths.
Carrión insisted, citing the report of the United Nations Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IDH Commission) that the State’s responsibility was proven in the violation of the human rights of the people who participated in the popular uprising.
The official said that citizen demonstrations are a fundamental process in the defense of rights and democracy, which was violated in October, when violent actions by the public forces were registered.
Regarding the force with which the agents acted, Carrión, accepting the report of the IDH Commission, said that he does not sympathize with or conform to the limits or basic principles of the United Nations on the use of firearms, which requires a greater control and verification of the absolute necessity of its use.
He recalled that the IACHR collects in its report complaints about the death of 14 people, in the context of the protests, with the suggestion that it is the obligation of the Ecuadorian State to investigate the deaths, to determine which are the product of violent actions by the public force. However, the State has not complied with this recommendation, he claimed.
He questioned that, rather, the National Government carried out an act of recognition to the National Police for its performance during the national strike last year, but has not, so far, initiated reparation processes in favor of the victims of the police action, not even assistance to the wounded.
He also criticized that the Minister of Government, María Paula Romo, questioned the existence of the deceased and accused the Ombudsman’s Office of inventing a dead person.
The Ombudsman commented that in the report prepared by the Special Truth and Justice Commission, on the events of October 2019, it stands out that it collected 519 testimonies, of which 249 report human rights violations perpetrated by state agents: right to integrity, personal freedom, alleged extrajudicial executions, attacks against the right to life, hidden pressure, sexual tendency.
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