LatinNews Daily - 17 October 2024

*The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a US$150m loan and a US$5m grant to support the Ecuadorean authorities in their struggle against organised crime groups. The IDB said that this was the first loan it has issued which specifically addresses the challenges posed by organised crime. The funding programme is based around three components. Firstly, preventing violence in high-incidence areas and gang recruitment of young people, by implementing a new preventive police model, constructing new police infrastructure, and building 12 ‘civic centres for life and peace’ that will offer services to young people. Secondly, improving the investigation and prosecution of crimes like money laundering, extortion, and murder by modernising chain of custody systems and improving digital forensic capabilities. Finally, strengthening the capacities of the interior ministry and the decentralised autonomous governments to coordinate and implement participatory and data-driven citizen security initiatives. The IDB’s president, Ilan Goldfajn, said that the funding “will enhance the effective presence of the state in critical areas… strengthen financial and forensic intelligence to reduce financial crimes, and improve coordination at the local and regional levels”.