Archive · 22 Dec 2025
Ecuador Soldiers Sentenced for Forced Disappearance of Four Boys
In Ecuador, 11 soldiers were sentenced to more than 34 years in prison for the disappearance of four young boys.
The boys, aged 11 to 15, went missing during a military operation in a neighborhood in Guayaquil.
The soldiers allegedly took the boys, beat them, and left them in a dangerous area where they were later found dead.
The soldiers' lawyers said the evidence wasn't clear, and the soldiers weren't properly trained.
The families of the boys said they had gone out to play soccer.
The judge ruled that the soldiers knew the area was dangerous and left the boys there on purpose.
11 soldiers sentenced to over 34 years for the forced disappearance of four boys in Guayaquil.
Boys aged 11 to 15 went missing during a military operation in December 2023.
Soldiers allegedly detained, beat, and abandoned the boys in a dangerous rural area.
One boy called his father from the area, but the boys were later found dead.
Defense argued lack of conclusive evidence and inadequate training for the soldiers.
- Who
- 11 Ecuadorian soldiers and 4 boys aged 11 to 15
- What
- Forced disappearance and murder of the boys during a military operation
- When
- December 2023, sentenced in December 2023
- Where
- Las Malvinas neighborhood, Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Why
- Military offensive against organized crime
- Number of Soldiers Sentenced
- 11
- Sentence Length
- More than 34 years
- Location of Incident
- Las Malvinas neighborhood, Guayaquil
- Age Range of Victims
- 11 to 15 years
- Date of Disappearance
- December 2023
- Status of Other Soldiers
- 5 sentenced to 2.5 years, 1 acquitted