Four Missing Ecuadorian Boys Found Burned to Death...Will the Truth Be Revealed?

Prosecutors Launch Investigation into Charges Including Abduction of 16 Soldiers

In a missing teenager case that shook all of Ecuador, all four missing teens were found dead, burned beyond recognition.

Yonhap News reported on the 1st, citing the Ecuadorian Prosecutor's Office, that "the genetic analysis of four bodies found recently in the Taura area of Guayaquil confirmed that they were the four teenagers who went missing on the 8th."

Relatives weeping over the discovery of the body of a missing Ecuadorian teenager. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

They also announced that the case would be reclassified as a kidnapping and that investigations would be conducted targeting 16 military personnel suspected of involvement. Local media, citing the police, reported that the bodies were burned to the extent that it was difficult to visually identify their faces and fingerprints.

Earlier, on the 8th of last month, in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, a report was filed with the police that four teenage boys went missing while returning home after a soccer game. The families of the missing persons, after extensive inquiries, found evidence suggesting that the soldiers had taken the children, but the military initially denied any involvement. However, the Ministry of Defense later acknowledged through investigations that 16 soldiers were connected to the incident.

Some local closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage was also released. It showed military patrols placing two of the four victimized teenagers into the bed of a pickup truck and leaving. This footage was shared on social media and quickly spread.

Four Missing Teenagers Found Dead' Ecuador Military Protest. Guayaquil Reuters Yonhap News

The soldiers reportedly took the children near the military base, claiming that the children had stolen a woman's belongings. However, the prosecution concluded that there was no evidence supporting the children's alleged robbery charges.

Currently, citizens, mainly in Guayaquil, have begun protesting in connection with this case. Residents argue that the tragedy occurred due to the military's premature assumptions about black children living in impoverished neighborhoods.

Attention is also focused on whether this incident will influence voter sentiment in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for February. Daniel Noboa (37), known as the youngest sitting national leader in the world, has emphasized the military since taking office in November last year, deploying troops extensively in urban areas through administrative orders aimed at strengthening public security. President Noboa, who was elected in a by-election, is preparing for a re-election bid.