Unanimously, the Legislative Administration Council (CAL) qualified the draft Law on Weapons, Ammunition, Explosives and Accessories, presented by the assemblyman of the Unión por la Esperanza (UNES) caucus Xavier Jurado, which seeks to regulate the possession and carrying of weapons, ammunition and explosives in the country.
The proposed law intends to update the current norm referring to the regularization of the use of weapons so that it is in accordance with what is determined by the 2008 Constitution.
The current weapons law, in force since 1980, requires urgent updating, Jurado said; hence the rules have not been sufficient to conceptualize the end, the means and the exceptions. To date, the Ministry of Defense is the governing body to authorize the possession and carrying of weapons, for which weapons have been categorized according to the utility and use that the authorized person must exercise. The last amendment to the regulation was issued on May 27, 2022.
Jurado, in his proposal, describes that the latest report from the Arms Control Information System (Sincoar) determines that there are 306 permits to carry weapons in force, issued only to individuals who have activities in the livestock and shrimp sector.
The legislator for Guayas maintained that there are dammed-up applications that comply with the required documentation, but there is a bottleneck because the Law on Manufacture, Import, Export, Marketing and Possession of Arms, Ammunition, Explosives and Accessories exclusively empowers the head of the IV Department of General Staff of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces to issue these permits; but, due to changes in the organic structure of the military entity, said department does not exist.
The project, which will be reported to the Sovereignty, Integration and Integral Security Commission, as approved by the CAL in the October 4 session, contains 52 articles and 8 provisions, including general, transitory, reformatory and final.
Proposal
The proposal seeks to regulate the possession of firearms of all calibers, less lethal firearms, replica weapons, blank and air weapons, less lethal electroshock weapons, ammunition of all kinds, explosives and raw materials for their manufacture, flammable, asphyxiating, toxic or corrosive chemical substances, and the facilities for the manufacture, storage and sale of these elements.
It is suggested that the governing body to authorize the use of weapons continues to be the Ministry of Defense, through the Joint Command of the Armed Forces.
No natural or legal person, without the respective authorization, may import, market, have or carry any type of firearm.
Possession permits will be granted to duly accredited private security companies, sports entities, shooting clubs and natural and legal persons, collectors and accredited embassies or consulates in Ecuador.
The permit to carry weapons to natural persons will be granted exclusively to those who demonstrate that they belong to the agricultural, fishing and shrimp sector, for which they must prove that they own a firearm.
The permit to carry weapons is nominally non-transferable. Authorizes to carry a loaded weapon, duly registered; its use is personal within the national territory.
For the delivery of permits to carry or possess weapons, the applicant must demonstrate that he has the aptitude for handling and knowledge of firearms, in such a way that the permits do not represent a risk to himself, his family and the community. citizenship. For this, technical exams or evaluations must be passed, and these will be verbal or written.
The only exception for the permit to carry any type of firearm is for the personnel of the Armed Forces, National Police and complementary security entities, whose members may use them in the manner established by law. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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