Ecuador: Information on: 1) existence, composition and role in anti-guerrilla actions of a Grupo Intervención y Rescate (GIR); 2) amnesty signed between government and guerrillas on 6 October 1989; 3) prosecution of police or GIR members involved in anti-guerrilla actions or their targeting by guerrillas

1) A special anti-terrorist unit was reportedly formed in September 1985. [ Keesing's Record of World Events, (London, Longman Publishing Group), p. 34795.] However, no details on the group could be found among the sources currently available to the IRBDC. According to the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1988, (Washington: U.S. Department of State, 1989), p. 544, the police forces were responsible for carrying out a campaign against guerrilla groups in 1985 and 1986.

The group reportedly responsible for criminal investigations, which included most anti-guerrilla actions at least until early-1988, is the Servicio de Inteligencia Criminal (Service of Criminal Intelligence - SIC), a branch of the national police. [ Human Rights in Ecuador, (Washington/Lima: Americas Watch/Andean Commission of Jurists, March 1988), p. 21.] However, the armed forces (military) have also been reported to have taken part and cooperated with the police in anti-guerrilla actions and carried out arbitrary detention, interrogation and investigation of suspects. [Ibid, p. 21 and various other pages; Amnesty International Urgent Action, 2 June 1988; Andean Newsletter, (Lima: Andean Commission of Jurists), 16 January 1989, p. 4.]

Ecuadorean police forces are reportedly controlled by the Minister of Government, who assumes responsibility for internal security. [ World Defence Almanac 1986-87, (Bonn: Monch Publishing Group, 1986), p. 98; Human Rights in Ecuador, p. 21.] According to one source, the department responsible is called Ministry of Government and Police, also referred to as Interior Ministry. [ Keesing's Record of World Events, (London, Longman Publishing Group), August 1988, p. 36098; Europa Year Book 1989, (London: Europa Publications, 1989), p. 914.] The military are reportedly not responsible for the police forces, and fall under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Defence. [ Europa 1989,

p. 907; World Defence Almanac 1986-87, p. 98.]

2) As stated on a previous response, various sources report the Ecuadorean guerrilla groups announced on September 1988, as a new government led by the Democratic Left party took office, that they were willing to cease hostilities, although leaving the possibility open for violent actions in case the new government did not accept certain conditions and demands. The Alfaro Vive Carajo guerrilla group (AVC) reportedly reached an agreement with the government earlier this year, [ Facts on File, (New York: Facts On File, Inc.), May 1989, p. 325; Keesing's Record of World Events, December 1988, p. 36344.] and on 10 September 1989, Ecuador's President Rodrigo Borja declared that no guerrilla warfare existed in Ecuador. [ Latin America Daily Report, (Washington, D.C.: Foreign Broadcast Information Service), 29 September 1989, p. 39.] However, no information on an amnesty being signed between the AVC and the Ecuadorean government on 6 October 1989 could be found among the sources currently available to the IRBDC.

3) No information on the targeting of police or GIR members by guerrillas could be found among the available sources. Regarding their prosecution, the Andean Commission of Jurists reported in August 1988 that no member of the security forces had been prosecuted for Human Rights violations during the Febres Cordero administration. [ Andean Newsletter, August 1988, p. 4.] The Country Reports for 1988, p. 545, states "no police officials had been tried and punished" for use of excessive force during 1988. More recent reports on Ecuador do not comment on the prosecution of security forces' members.