Alberto Molina Flores

Military service historically represented a mandatory contribution to national defense. On April 3, 1837, Congress issued the Conscription Act, Article 1 stated that: “Every Ecuadorian between the ages of twenty and twenty-five shall be enlisted in the service of arms.” During the life of our country, military service was compulsory. After a year of military service, they entered the permanent composition of the Armed Forces, with a permit for 5 years, and then into the reserve until they reached the age of 55.

Before 2008, there were about 120,000 citizens of military age in Ecuador, of which only between 20 and 25 thousand were recruited. According to the current Constitution, military service is voluntary. Citizens, usually from the poorest strata, go to the barracks, some by invitation, with the aspiration of a military career, and others as an alternative to the lack of work.

Rafael Correa said on one of the Saturdays that he has a “perception” that the military service in our country is “terribly ineffective” and that “maybe it doesn’t take a year, but two or three months and constant training.” . Javier Ponce, while serving as Minister of Defense, stated: “my idea is to extend voluntary military service to two or three years”; From these statements it could be “understood” that neither of them knew what they were talking about; In any case, Correa decided to limit military service to 6 months and to reduce the 16,000 conscripts to 10,000, weakening the reserves of the armed forces.

During the year of conscription, the citizen not only received training to be able to face the harshness of military life, but also received comprehensive training, instilled in him a love of country and civic values; hygienic habits, discipline, responsibility; In addition, he learned the trade. These citizens, having fulfilled their duty to their homeland, left the barracks with a different vision, feeling more useful for new challenges in their lives.

All young Ecuadorians, men and women, have an obligation to their country…

As an incentive for military service, men and women should be given priority in entering the Armed Forces, police, customs, transport, firemen, forest and prison guards, etc.

All young Ecuadorians, men and women, have an obligation to their country. Why should only doctors complete one year of rural medicine? This obligation should be extended to all experts as a condition for them to be able to practice their profession, in this way these experts would get to know the reality of the country and be attached to their homeland. The same should be returned to the pre-military for students, men and women, in the final year of high school; For university students with a military draft, but who do not want to pursue a career, they could opt for courses for reserve officers.

It is a topic for analysis by the current government and for members of parliament to develop appropriate laws that would enable young people to reconnect with their homeland and its values. (OR)