IACHR grants precautionary measures in favor of 26 missing persons and 6 women who are looking for missing persons in Ecuador

December 30, 2025

Washington, DC—The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 97/2025 on December 24, 2025, to grant precautionary measures in favor of 26 individuals who disappeared in the context of the state of emergency in Ecuador and six women who are looking for them. The IACHR considers that they all face a serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to their rights to life and personal integrity.

According to the request for these precautionary measures, the 26 missing persons were allegedly arrested by members of Ecuador’s Armed Forces in various raids conducted in 2024. No official information has been provided so far about their whereabouts, although several formal complaints have been filed and several judicial decisions demanding information have been issued. The six female searchers have alleged that they are being subjected to threats and intimidation in connection with their search.

The State said that the authorities were conducting diligent investigations and that there were effective mechanisms in place to mitigate risks in this case. The State noted that all these cases were being investigated by the Office of the Attorney General as alleged enforced disappearances. The State also noted that, based on an assessment conducted by the authorities of competent jurisdiction, no verifiable risk had been identified concerning the families of these missing persons. However, the State said it would reassess the risks they might be facing.

After assessing the legal and factual allegations in this case, the IACHR found that the situation of the relevant missing persons had not been established and that their fate and whereabouts remained unknown. Concerning the six women identified in the resolution, the available information documented threats and intimidation over time, as recently as November 2025.

The IACHR considered that the beneficiaries faced serious, urgent risks. Consequently, in keeping with Article 25 of its Rules of Procedure, the IACHR asked the State of Ecuador to take the following action:

1. Step up its efforts to establish the whereabouts and condition of the 26 missing persons identified in the resolution to protect their rights to life and personal integrity, with a search plan that delivers measurable results, enables family involvement, and reflects an age perspective in keeping with the applicable international standards and obligations
2. Facilitate immediate handover of all the available information that might lead to establishing the beneficiaries’ fate, including among others all information demanded in domestic judicial decisions and urgent action requests issued by the United Nations Committee on Enforced Disappearances
3. Take all measures necessary, with a gender perspective, to protect the lives and integrity of the six women searchers identified in the resolution—Lorena Jacqueline Roca Magallón, Wendy Gabriela Álvarez Chávez, the wife of Jonathan Daniel Villón Velasco, Mercí Rocío García Bajaña, Mayra Álvarez Chávez, and Jeniffer Pillajo Córdova—in keeping with the applicable international standards
4. Provide physical and mental healthcare to the six relatives of missing persons identified in the resolution, should they want such healthcare, in agreement with them
5. Come to an agreement with the beneficiaries’ families and their representatives concerning any measures that need to be taken
6. Report on any actions adopted to investigate with due diligence the alleged events that gave rise to the adoption of these precautionary measures, in order to prevent such events from happening again in the future

The fact that these precautionary measures have been granted and their adoption by the State of Ecuador do not entail a prejudgment on a potential petition that may be filed before the inter-American system to allege violations of rights protected by the applicable instruments.

The IACHR is an autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS) whose mandate is based on the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. Its mission is to promote and defend human rights throughout the Americas and to serve as an advisory body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR consists of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly who serve in a personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 286/25

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