A judge in Ecuador has ordered the detention of 16 members of the air force in connection with the disappearance and deaths of four children, whose burned bodies were recently discovered.
The case has deeply unsettled the nation, triggering protests against the military, which has played a central role in President Daniel Noboa’s campaign against violent crime.
The ruling in Guayaquil came on Tuesday, shortly before prosecutors confirmed through forensic tests that the charred remains found days earlier were those of the missing children.
The bodies were discovered close to where the children were last seen, sparking outrage and demands for accountability.
The victims, Saúl Arboleda, Steven Medina, and brothers Josué and Ismael Arroyo, aged 11 to 15, were last seen on December 8 in Guayas province. Witnesses reported they had been playing soccer before being forced into a military patrol car.
A video released by the National Assembly last week showed the children being coerced into the vehicle.
While the defense ministry acknowledged that the children had been detained, it maintained they were released shortly afterward.
The ministry further alleged their involvement in a robbery—a claim dismissed by the Prosecutor’s Office for lack of evidence.
The confirmation of the children’s identities has left Ecuador reeling. Protests have erupted, with citizens gathering in front of the Attorney General’s office in Guayaquil and Quito, demanding justice for the children of Las Malvinas.
Many held banners and chanted, “They took them alive, we want them alive!” and “Sir, madam, do not be indifferent, they take children in front of people!”
Guayas Prefect Marcela Aguiñaga, in a statement on X, expressed her sorrow, “What pain to close the year with this tragedy that mourns the country. It is unacceptable that the lives of our children end in this way. Let fear not silence us, and let solidarity become the voice that demands justice so that something like this never happens again.”
Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Álvarez shared a similarly heartfelt reaction: “Nothing will calm the pain of the parents, just as nothing will erase the mark of murderers from all those involved, directly or indirectly.
The truth is that this country has hit rock bottom. Paradigms have been broken, but to make things worse. It makes you want nothing, everything hurts.”
During the hearing, the Prosecutor’s Office presented video footage and witness testimonies as evidence implicating the detained soldiers.
Outside the court, the children’s families and supporters gathered, displaying photos and calling for truth and accountability.
In response to the tragedy, the National Assembly and Quito’s Mayor’s Office declared three days of mourning.
President Noboa has assured the public that there will be no impunity, urging all law enforcement agencies to cooperate fully with the Attorney General’s Office.
The defense ministry and armed forces have pledged their unreserved support for the investigation.
