Ecuador approves extradition, anti-gang measures in referendum
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00:00A referendum under the watch of armed soldiers in a country that's experiencing spiralling gang
00:06violence. Ecuadorians were asked to vote on a raft of measures aimed at allowing the government
00:12to ramp up its fight against gangs, all easily passed. Even before the official result,
00:18President Daniel Noboa was welcoming victory, saying the government would have more tools
00:23to fight crime and restore peace to Ecuadorian families. The overwhelming yes vote will
00:29allow for an increased military presence on Ecuador's streets by introducing regular
00:34joint patrols between police and the army.
00:40I believe there will be significant changes because giving the armed forces the opportunity
00:44to help combat crime will be something positive.
00:48I feel there is a shortage of personnel to help combat insecurity.
00:54Other measures approved include longer prison sentences for
00:57murder, drug trafficking and terrorism offences,
01:00and the removal of a constitutional ban on the extradition of wanted Ecuadorians.
01:06Ecuador was once one of South America's most peaceful countries, but now has the region's
01:11highest murder rate. Police recorded around 8,000 violent deaths last year.
01:17As the presence of cocaine smuggling gangs in the continent has swelled over the last decade,
01:23they've turned once stable nations like Ecuador into key players in the global drug trade.