QUITO: A UN Special Rapporteur has warned that Ecuadorian youth are joining criminal gangs to escape poverty and lack of employment opportunities.
The UN official urged the government of Ecuador to increase social investment to bring peace and stability in the country and effectively combat violence.
The lawlessness has increased across Ecuador especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas President Guillermo Lasso believes that drug trafficking disputes and common crimes are the main reasons for the poverty and unrest in the country.
27% population of Ecuador live in poverty
According to the official statistics about 27% population of Ecuador live in poverty, while 10.8% live in extreme poverty.
Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights has said underprivileged and disappointed youth are joining criminal gangs to make some money.
The UN official in an interview to Western media said that poverty hit young adults in Ecuador choose either to join the gangs or to move to the U.S.
He said that rapid action needs to be taken to improve security situation of the country so that people don’t have to leave the country or opt for other illegal ways to survive.
Ecuador is heading to the presidential elections on October 15. Cadiates Luisa Gonzalez and Daniel Noboa have vowed to take serious action against criminals and measures to tackle poverty.
It is pertinent to mention that Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was killed during an election campaign in Quito last month while another senior politician was also assassinated in a sperate incident.
