Dorian Balladares, national director(s) of the Dinased: ‘69% of violent deaths are linked to drug trafficking’

About eight people are murdered every day in the country, according to the records of the National Directorate of Crimes against Life, Violent Deaths, Disappearances, Extortion and Kidnapping (Dinased), entity that until February 3 reported 313 violent deaths nationwide. 90% of these deaths occur due to criminal violence, assured Dorian Balladares, national director(s) of the Dinased, who argued that most of these cases are linked to micro and drug trafficking of illicit substances.

Of the total violent deaths, 33% (103) occurred in Zone 8, which includes Guayaquil, Durán and Samborondón, cantons where about three deaths a day are recorded.

Violent deaths have increased in January. Why?

Zone 8, last year, cut to February 3, had 33 violent deaths. So far this year, there are 103 that are registered in the same court. We see an increase in events focused basically on criminal violence. Of this universe that is recorded in 2022, 90% of deaths are focused on criminal violence; This is related to the participation of organized criminal groups, which are not only dedicated to drug trafficking, micro-trafficking, but also to the theft of people, theft of vehicles, motorcycles, which unfortunately have ended in death. 90% is in charge of criminal violence and 10% of interpersonal violence: the subject of fights, interpersonal and family problems. Thus, more or less, the 103 cases this year in Zone 8 are established.

How many cases are linked to organized criminal groups?

The 90%: 88 cases (are) immersed in criminal violence; the rest, 10% (15 cases), (are) interpersonal violence.

But of that 90%, how many correspond to drug trafficking?

There are 70 cases, 69% are linked to microtrafficking, drug trafficking. This motivation (drug trafficking) is obtained in flagrante delicto, at the scene of the events; it is obtained from citizens: many of the cases are neighbors and close to the victim’s environment. Obviously, because they are topics related to criminal acts, they give information under the confidentiality of the source, for fear of reprisals. But from the information that we manage, and as part of our work, in order to analyze crime, we manage this data and it is confirmed that 69% of these violent deaths are linked to the drug issue. 11% (is) linked to threats.

And the subdivision of the violent deaths that they manage, if it is murder, homicide…

We handle that in a general way, we do not classify it, because we would make a mistake by classifying whether it would be homicide, murder. We handle it as violent death. Once we have the pronouncement (from the Prosecutor’s Office), we establish it according to the categorization, but we also handle the term of intentional homicides generally.

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How many people have been arrested for the 103 deaths?

So far eleven citizens have been arrested for violent deaths, so far this month (January 2022).

Why only eleven arrested?

What happens is that the investigative process of a violent death demands a great investigative work, it is not an easy criminal type. You will understand that due to the punitive sanction, which even entails a criminal trial with a sentence for a person who could easily exceed 22 years of age and reach penalties or sanctions that we have obtained of more than 34 years in prison, it makes it a technical job, scientific, in which the participation of a citizen in a crime has been proven over and over again. That is why it takes more time, and those detainees have been practically in flagrante delicto. We take advantage of flagrante delicto, when we have the information and citizen collaboration, the results are there. But when the flagrancy has practically passed and we enter a prosecutor’s office, we already have to respect deadlines, terms, work hand in hand under the direction of the Prosecutor’s Office, which is in charge of the pre-trial and procedural investigation. So obviously this takes more time.

Analysts comment that the results of the investigations carried out into violent deaths do not reach those involved in the middle and high command of criminal organizations. For what is this?

If we talk about middle and top managers, I remind you that the middle, top and very high managers are imprisoned. Of the criminal structures are detained in the Penitentiary, in the Regional. It is not that they have not arrived, rather they are imprisoned.

During the weekend there were 17 murders between Guayaquil and Durán

In some cases they are prisoners, in others they are free…

Yes, that’s what we’re aiming for. Institutionally, we work in a coordinated manner with the preventive, intelligence and investigative system in preventive actions. And in the investigative theme, at the different levels of criminal structures, it is not that we are oblivious to that reality, but they are processes, that it is not a common criminal who is caught in flagrante delicto in order to put the authorities under orders. The investigative processes have their characteristics, they have their complexities, and that is what the specialized and special units are intended for. Rest assured that as an institution, within the investigative field, we not only look at the tip of the iceberg, insofar as it has to do with the criminal issue, but we also see under the iceberg what is happening, how the phenomenon moves , and there are specialized units that work at different levels and we hope to continue giving results.

And, within those investigations, a blow would be to reach those who finance them. Have they arrived? Has there been any positive result on that money route?

That is the purpose, not only in the area of ​​violent deaths, but in other areas of microtrafficking, drug trafficking. We have structures that have been placed at the orders of the authorities so that they conform the process and the fiscal instruction carried out by the prosecutor so that each one can establish their degree of participation, responsibility and their sanction. Let’s not just say that structures are not taken or investigated; structures are investigated.

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How is the Dinased for the fight against criminal violence? Analysts point out that criminal organizations are ahead of us.

The National Police is permanently working on the analysis and diagnosis of the criminal phenomenon that is occurring in each of the territories. In Guayaquil, given this significant increase in events in terms of criminal violence, it is also being strengthened through the investigative units, not only Dinased, because, I repeat, it is linked to the issue of drug trafficking, but also crime. common, which unfortunately ends in death; and it is there that the Police with its investigative units establishes the courses of action to give a timely response to the demand for cases. While it is true that the demand is greater, the results are also visible.

Internally, how is the Dinased doing? What are the main needs for resources, personnel, technology?

We are being served at this time with the offer of money made by the president. The requirements to be attended to in the technological field have practically been made, because research also deserves it: to have technological elements that allow us to improve our investigative processes. The Dinased, the Judicial Police, Antinarcotics, Siprovac, Criminalistics are being strengthened. These requirements that have been made and will be reflected in the coming days make us feel that with this support we will have better results. (I)