Source: Amnesty International –
A year after the enforced disappearance of Steven Medina, Nehemías Arboleda, Josué Arroyo and Ismael Arroyo, their relatives continue to demand justice, truth and reparation.
The “four children from Las Malvinas”, as they have become publicly known, were detained on8 December 2024 by members of the armed forces during a security operation in the Las Malvinas community in the city of Guayaquil. Their bodies were found on 24 December 2024 near a military base in Taura, in the province of Guayas, bearing signs of torture.
“We express our admiration and solidarity with the fight of the families of the four disappeared children from Las Malvinas. We are at a critical moment for the observance of human rights in Ecuador. These enforced disappearances not only deeply shocked the country, but also evidenced the failure of President Noboa’s security policy. The families of these children and of all the victims of enforced disappearances at the hands of the armed forces in the Ecuadorian coastal region have a right to justice, truth and comprehensive reparation,” said Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
The families of these children and of all the victims of enforced disappearances at the hands of the armed forces in the Ecuadorian coastal region have a right to justice, truth and comprehensive reparation.”
Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.
At the beginning of this year, the Public Prosecutor’s Office filed charges within the framework of their investigation against 16 military officers for their alleged involvement in the events. These individuals are currently being held in pretrial detention. In April, additional charges were filed against a colonel. In October, the 17 suspects were brought to a trial which has held numerous hearings in the last few weeks and is currently at the stage of closing arguments. The Constitutional Court of Ecuador is also examining these crimes.
In September of this year, Amnesty International published the report “It was the military. I saw them”, detailing the enforced disappearance of 10 persons, including the “four children from Las Malvinas”. The investigation, presented in Guayaquil, concludes that the militarized security strategy driven by President Daniel Noboa has enabled serious human rights violations to be committed, including those of enforced disappearance which are crimes under international law.
According to information provided by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, there were 43 recorded disappearances in Ecuador’s coastal region as of September 2025 in the context of security operations by the armed forces during 2024. Amnesty International considers that the biggest obstacle to date for victims and their families to obtain justice is a lack of cooperation from the armed forces in the criminal investigations that are being conducted.
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