Thus Opera Blackwater, the controversial company of the new ally of Daniel Noboa to face the crime in Ecuador

“Organized crime has sown fear and has believed that it can operate with impunity. They run out of time. International aid begins in Ecuador. In meeting with @realerikdprincefounder of Blackwaterwe have established a strategic alliance to strengthen our abilities in the fight against drug trafficking and the protection of our illegal fishing waters. There is no truce. There is no setback. Let’s go forward “wrote Noboa In their social networks.

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Noboa did not detail how that will be alliance With the American company Erik Princewhich is now known as Constellis Holdings.

But on Thursday the Interior Minister, John Reimberghe said that Prince will give advice to security forces And he ruled out that the issue has to do with the distrust of the police in the fight against crime.

The approach of Noboa with Prince It occurs in the middle of the electoral process in Ecuadorthat next April 13 will celebrate the second round where the president will seek the re-election Before the presidential candidate of Correism Luisa González.

The homicide rate in Ecuador He climbed from 6 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018, to 38 in 2024. The historical record occurred in 2023, with 47 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.

The insight crime organization positions Ecuador as the most violent country in Latin America. In the first 50 days of 2025, the Nation has registered 1,300 murders, which is equivalent to A crime per hourthe Spanish newspaper El País reported. This figure reflects an increase of 40% compared to 2023, the year of the record.

Noboa has declared 22 criminal gangs as terrorist organizations and has decreed that in the country there is an internal armed copnflictowhich has allowed him to take out the armed were to carry out security work that were previously exclusive to the police.

The terrorist groups of Ecuador They are dedicated to drug trafficking, extortion, kidnappings, sicariate, illegal mining, among other illegal activities. They have international links with drug cartels such as Mexicans from Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación; and the European ALBANESA MAFIA.

A demagogic and populist advertisement

Because Noboa He turns to this time Erik Prince? The Ecuadorian political analyst Mauricio Alarcón-Salvadordirector of the NGO Citizenship and Development, he told Commerce that what announced by the president It is a clearly electoral act that staps on demagogy and populism.

“Daniel Noboa Remember this International mercenarystrongly criticized worldwide and with a history, to give an image coup in this second round and perhaps appear to be looking Ecuador. I think that nothing else is an electoral action that stales in demagogy and populism ”, Alarcón-Salvador said.

“The starting point to talk about Eric PrinceBlackwater and its possible presence in Ecuador that is Under current regulations this cannot take placebecause it would basically constitute the hiring of paramilitary groups outside the law. That is something unthinkable in the constitutional and normative regime in force in Ecuador. So, I think that again it only seeks to convey an image that something is being done instead of looking for effective results ”the analyst insisted.

Alarcón-Salvador said the background of Prince and Blackwater They have more relationship with real wars, not with presumed wars, “because even Noboa The Constitutional Court has already told him that in Ecuador There is no internal war. ”

“It is a misguided action in the sense of presenting this at the expense of the image of the Armed Forces and the National Police. People have reacted in some sectors very negatively saying: ‘You want to spend resources on mercenaries instead of strengthening our internal forces,’ ” Alarcón-Salvador said.

“You have to be very cautious with this type of ads that have generated a negative discussion and effect on the population, instead of the impact that perhaps Noboa I was waiting for the election of April 13 ”, He added.

Ernesto Anzieta, Ecuadorian Analyst of International Relations, he told this newspaper that more than an effective action of Prince And your team, what you want to screened is that whatever is going to be done to solve the issue of insecuritywhich is the biggest national concern.

“The questioning from the armed forces is that The incorporation of private contractors only reinforces the idea of ​​control loss by the regular organs. That is, rather than being a message of force, it is projected as a weakness and towards the internal discredit to the military forces, ”noted Anzieta.

“Citizenship is divided with respect to the mattersome sectors see with joy an alternative like this, while others with exceptional because the scheme is unclear and possibly risky, ”he said.

What is Blackwater?

In 1997, Erik Prince founded in the United States Blackwatera private military company specialized in security services, military training, in performing operations in war areas, also provides protection of strategic facilities, performs covert operations and offers logistics.

The company grew rapidly by obtaining millionaire contracts from the United States government, especially in Iraq and Afghanistannations that were invaded by US forces after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York and Washington.

During the War in Iraq (2003-2011), the company provided security to US diplomats and officials.

In 2007, Blackwater was wrapped in the “Massacre of the Plaza Nisour “where their employees killed 17 civilians in Baghdad, something that caused international outrage. Crime perpetrators were protecting workers from the US embassy in Iraq.

As a result of this fact, Blackwater She was expelled from Iraq In 2009, while four of its employees were sentenced in the US, although in 2020 the then president Donald Trump investigated them.

May 5, 2009 in Kabulcapital of Afghanistan, Blackwater subsidiary employees, Paravantthey shot at civilians who were in a vehicle and that did not represent a threat. Two people died. Subsequently, Two of the attackers were declared guilty of involuntary homicide in the US.

Due to its bad reputation, Blackwater changed its name several times: In 2009 it was called XE SERVICES LLCin 2011 Academi And later he merged with other companies such as Triple Canopy to form Constellis Holdings.

Who is Erik Prince?

Erik Prince was born in Michigan, USA, on June 6, 1969. It was formed at the United States Naval Academy and Hillsdale College.

During his military service, from 1992 to 1995, He specialized as Seal of the United States Navy.

The Navy Seal They are one of the most prepared special operations forces. They specialize in high -risk missions in maritime, land and aerial environments. For example, they were responsible for killing the leader of Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Ladenin an operation carried out in Pakistan in May 2011. They also captured the dictator in Panama Manuel Antonio Noriega In 1989.

The founder of Blackwater has been accused of trying private armies In Africa and the Middle East.

Prince has been linked to intelligence operations for China and United Arab Emirates.

It has also been investigated for violations of gun embargoes that weigh on Libya.

Prince It is still active in the private security and defense sector. In the last time it was linked to the movement Almost Venezuelalaunched last year to raise 10 million dollars that allow end the regime Nicolás Maduro and restore democracy in the Caribbean country.