Truth Commission: Ecuador 07

Truth Commission: Truth Commission to Impede Impunity (Comisión de la Verdad para impedir la impunidad)

Dates of Operation: May 3, 2007 – September 2009 (2 years, 4 months)

Background: Ecuador returned from military to presidential rule in 1979, but a pattern of authoritarian human rights abuses continued. Between 1984 and 1988, President León Febres Cordero’s government led repressive campaigns against student and social movements that opposed his rule. Arbitrary detentions, torture, extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances were widespread.

An initial truth commission charged with investigating abuses, the "Truth and Justice Commission" (1996) disbanded without finishing its work. In 2007, current President Rafael Correa set up a second ”Truth Commission to Impede Impunity”. Article 1 of the new commission’s mandate specifies that the commission investigates particularly those abuses that occurred during Febres Cordero's administration (1984-1988).

Charter: President Rafael Correa Delgado created the Commission by Ministerial Accord No. 305 on May 3, 2007; co-signed by the Minister of Internal and External Security Policy and the Minister of Finance.

Mandate: The Truth Commission to Impede Impunity’s mandate is to investigate, clarify, and impede impunity with respect to human rights abuses perpetrated between 1984 and 1988 and "other periods". The commission was also empowered to acknowledge victims, design a reparations program, make recommendations for institutional reforms, and determine who was responsible for abuses.

Commissioners and Structure: The Truth Commission to Impede Impunity was composed of four members appointed by the President: three men and one woman.  It included two human rights activists, one lawyer, and the parent of two persons who were disappeared in 1988. It was chaired by Sister Elsie Monge and was supported by a Committee composed of relatives of victims, human rights activists and a representative of the Executive.

Report: The commission is expected to release a final report in September 2009. A video report was released at an international conference September 8, 2008. A preliminary report was presented to President Correa on July 1, 2008 but is not currently available.

Findings:

Conclusions

• Even though the final report has not yet been released, the Commission signaled that state agents were responsible for torture, forced disappearances and detention.
• According to the preliminary report, at least 150 individuals were forcibly disappeared during the regime of Febres Cordero, and about 500 were tortured and/or arbitrarily detained.

Sources:

Comisión de la Verdad. "Conferencia Internacional: “Las Comisiones De La Verdad y El Fortalecimiento De La Democracia” (10 y 11 De Septiembre)."  Available at http://www.coverdad.org.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74:conferencia-internacional-las-comisiones-de-la-verdad-y-el-fortalecimiento-de-la-democracia-10-y-11-de-septiembre&catid=36:boletines&Itemid=57 (accessed September 21, 2008).

Comisión De La Verdad. "Ni Silencio Ni Impunidad."  Available at http://www.coverdad.org.ec/ (accessed September 21, 2008).

Comisión de la Verdad. "Revelador Video De Lugares De Tortura Fue Presentado Ante La Prensa (Ver Video)." Available at http://www.coverdad.org.ec/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=76:revelador-video-de-lugares-de-tortura-fue-presentado-ante-la-prensa&catid=36:boletines&Itemid=57 (accessed September 21, 2008).

CRE Satelital Ecuador. "Presidente Recibió Informe De La Comisión De La Verdad." July 1, 2008. Available at http://www.cre.com.ec/Desktop.aspx?Id=143&e=114582 (accessed September 21, 2008).

"Ecuador: Descartan Que Denuncias De Tortura Sean Políticas." NewsOK - the Associated Press, September 9, 2008. Available at http://newsok.com/article/3295233?mp=1 (accessed September 21, 2008).

ICTJ las Américas. "En Ecuador, La Comisión Entra En Su Última Fase." Informativo ICTJ Colombia y Las Américas 3, (July 2008). Available at http://www.ictjcolombia.org/informativoJul08/ecuador.html (accessed September 21, 2008).

"Revelan Centros De Tortura De Años 80 En Ecuador." Telemetro.Com Panama, September 8, 2008. Available at http://www.telemetro.com/inter/2008/09/08/nota19331.html (accessed September 21, 2008).

"Se Anuncia Informe Final Sobre Torturas." El Universo, September 8, 2008, c. Available at http://www.eluniverso.com/2008/09/08/0001/8/6195DEB6B59147198B6F98A9B21C38A4.html (accessed September 21, 2008).