Ecuadorians vote to toughen fight against gangs behind wave of violence

GONZALO SOLANO

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorians have voted in a referendum touted by the president as a way to crack down on gangs behind a spiraling wave of violence. Official results from Sunday’s vote are slow in being counted. But an exit poll says Ecuadorians overwhelmingly voted “yes” to all nine questions on tightening security measures, rejecting only two controversial economic proposals. Among the measures approved are President Daniel Noboa’s call to deploy the army against the gangs, loosen obstacles for extraditing accused criminals and lengthen prison sentences for drug traffickers. Ecuador has traditionally been one of South America’s most peaceful countries. But it has been rocked in recent years by a wave of violence. The president has rallied popular support by confronting the gangs head on.