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🇪🇨 Ecuador /Elections & Politics

Quito Security Plan Lacks End Date, Minister Confirms

From El Comercio · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Ecuador's Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg, stated that the security plan for Quito has no set end date.
  • The plan involves 4,000 members of the National Police and Armed Forces conducting operations in nine districts of the capital.
  • Recent operations have resulted in the seizure of 100 kilograms of marijuana and the arrest of eight individuals suspected of drug trafficking.

Ecuador's security plan for the capital city, Quito, will remain in effect indefinitely, according to Interior Minister John Reimberg. He confirmed that the extensive security measures, involving 4,000 members of the National Police and Armed Forces, will continue operating in nine key districts of the city for "as long as necessary" to combat criminal groups.

"They will be there for the necessary time. Maintenance is part of the logistics that the National Police maintain. They will be in the places where they need to be to attack these criminal groups," Reimberg stated in a radio interview. He added in a separate television interview, "They want to mess with Quito, they want to alter the peace... investigations are advancing..."

They will be there for the necessary time. Maintenance is part of the logistics that the National Police maintain. They will be in the places where they need to be to attack these criminal groups.

— John ReimbergMinister of the Interior John Reimberg explaining the indefinite nature of the security operations in Quito.

Recent operations under the Quito Security Plan have yielded significant results. In the Malchinguí sector, authorities seized 100 kilograms of marijuana intended for distribution within Quito. Eight individuals were apprehended in connection with the drug seizure, and investigations are ongoing to determine their affiliation with criminal organizations. The Minister also assured that security reinforcements would continue in entertainment venues like bars and clubs during the upcoming holiday weekend, and confirmed ongoing investigations into crimes involving substances such as scopolamine.

President Daniel Noboa announced the implementation of the Plan de Protección de Quito on August 3, 2026. The strategy includes the deployment of an additional 2,000 police officers and 2,000 military personnel. Operations are targeting neighborhoods, commercial areas, high-traffic locations, and strategic routes, with increased presence particularly between 4:00 AM and 11:00 AM, and again from 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM. The official bulletin did not specify an end date for the plan, a detail now clarified by Minister Reimberg.

They want to mess with Quito, they want to alter the peace… investigations are advancing…

— John ReimbergMinister Reimberg's statement on the ongoing efforts to maintain peace and security in the capital.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Comercio in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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