Ecuador’s President Authorizes Armed Civilians to Fight Crime

The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, announced an authorization this weekend that allows civilians to carry and use guns amid surging crime in the country.

Reuters noted that crime has reached a point where it is hard to curtail, and Lasso hopes to find some degree of respite in allowing citizens to be armed for self-defense.

Lasso—a political conservative—announced the new policy, saying, “We have a common enemy: petty crime, drug trafficking, and organized crime.”

“We’ve modified the decree that allows the possession and carrying of guns,” he continued. “In other words, in general terms … the possession and carrying of guns for civilian use in personal defense is authorized, in accordance with the requirements of law and regulations.”

The Latin American media outlet Merco Press reported that Lasso also declared a state of emergency “in the provinces of Santa Elena (west), Los Ríos (center), and in Zone 8, which includes the cities of Guayaquil, Durán, and Samborondón in the coastal province of Guayas (southwest).” The impacted cities and provinces were placed under a 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew.

Lasso pointed out that, in addition to implementing the curfew and allowing civilians to be armed, his government is carrying out a “crusade for security,” which entails locating and arresting “15 high-value targets” believed to be tied to the leadership of criminal gangs.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.