Ecuador has authorized the carrying and use of guns by civilians, President Guillermo Lasso said in a televised broadcast, citing rising crime and insecurity in the Andean country.
Lasso, a conservative former banker, has been fighting to tackle rising crime and violence in the streets and in prisons – where hundreds of inmates have been killed – which the government blames on drug trafficking gangs.
The beleaguered president also faces an impeachment process over allegations of embezzlement – accusations he has denied – after Ecuador’s top court gave the green light for hearings to go ahead.
“We have a common enemy: petty crime, drug trafficking, and organized crime,” Lasso said late on Saturday in a message also posted on Twitter.