Ecuadoreans voting in a referendum have overwhelmingly approved tough new security measures designed to fight gang-related crime.
The result of a quick vote tally announced by the country’s National Electoral Council after voting finished late on Sunday showed that 60 to 73 percent of voters supported the referendum.
President Daniel Noboa, who took office in November, proposed the measures as the country faces rising violence that has seen two mayors killed in a week.
“will define the course and the state policy that we will take in order to face the challenge of fighting against violence and organised crime”, Noboa said
The proposal includes tightening of gun control, imposition of harsher penalties for terrorism, loosening obstacles to the extradition of accused criminals and lengthening prison sentences for convicted drug traffickers.
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