Four missing teenagers found burned to death: they were allegedly kidnapped by criminal groups and then “released at night”

The bodies of four teenagers who had been missing since December 8, 2024, were found a few days later in Ecuador. There are two opposing versions of who was responsible for the tragedy.

For some, it was a military blunder. For others, it was the signature of a criminal group. In Ecuador, reports RFI, the death of four teenagers has been shaking the country for several days.

Found Charred in the Mangrove

A few days after their disappearance on December 8, the bodies of four teenagers were found charred in the mangrove, on the edge of a military base in Ecuador. According to our colleagues, these four young people had been brought to this area by an air force patrol.

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At first, the Minister of Defense, Gian Carlo Loffredo, claimed that they had been victims of a criminal group. CCTV footage was shared. It showed teenagers being forcibly taken away by men in military uniform.

“Released in the night”

Following which, the government's version changed. The military had indeed captured the young people but had “released in the night” them. After which they had allegedly been victims of a criminal gang that had kidnapped, killed and burned them.

A discourse that is divisive across the Atlantic. For the victims' relatives and some NGOs, the criminal gangs are not linked to the tragedy.

The UN and UNICEF have called for an investigation to be opened that is “exhaustive, rapid and impartial”, our colleagues note.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has declared itself deeply “concerned” by this affair. Demonstrations have been organized, particularly at the initiative of the teenagers' relatives. In the country's capital, Quito, several hundred people gathered with banners: “Where are our children ?”

Ecuador's president, Daniel Noboa, believes that it is still too early to talk about forced disappearances or kidnappings.