Ecuador’s Military Detained 11-y.o. Steven Gerald Medina Lajones. Then He Was Found Dead | FRONTLINE

Facing a surge in gang violence and drug-linked crime, Ecuador’s government launched a military crackdown. Critics allege the military has “disappeared” innocents, including 11-year-old Steven Gerald Medina Lajones. Watch a video drawn from FRONTLINE’s documentary “Drug War in Ecuador.”

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Steven’s death and his family’s quest for justice are among the stories that unfold in “Drug War in Ecuador,” a FRONTLINE documentary premiering Nov. 11. The film explores the stark human toll of the country’s drug and gang crisis, which has caused homicide rates to skyrocket — and also examines allegations that the military has “disappeared” innocent people in the resulting crackdown.

Including Steven.

As the above video drawn from the documentary shows, surveillance footage from December 8 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, captured the military detaining Steven and beating another boy. Steven’s charred remains and those of three 14- and 15-year-old boys he was with — Nehemías Saúl Arboleda, Josué Arroyo and Ismael Arroyo — were found on Christmas Eve. Ecuador’s military said the soldiers released the boys alive and that gang members later killed them. A judge ordered 16 soldiers to be put in detention. The soldiers who picked up Steven and the other boys are currently on trial for their role in the deaths.

For the full story, watch “Drug War in Ecuador” starting Nov. 11 on @frontlinepbs.

“Drug War in Ecuador” is a Duskwater Films production for GBH/FRONTLINE and ITV in association with The Big Story Films. Filmed and directed by Marcel Mettelsiefen. The producers are Stephen Ellis, Marcel Mettelsiefen, Mayte Carrasco and Ahisha Ghafoor. The associate producer is Esme Ramlal. The senior producer is Eamonn Matthews. The executive producer for ITV is Tom Giles. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.

Explore additional reporting on “Drug War in Ecuador ” on our website:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/drug-war-in-ecuador/

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