Ecuador's New President Repeals Drug Carrying Guidelines

Daniel Noboa's decision comes amid record levels of violence linked to drug trafficking.

Less than 48 hours into his term, Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa repealed guidelines that eliminated penalties for people found carrying illegal drugs under certain amounts.
The repealed guidelines, established a decade ago, allowed individuals to carry for personal use up to 10 grams of marijuana, 2 grams of cocaine paste, 1 gram of cocaine, 0.10 grams of heroin and 0.04 grams of amphetamine.
Noboa's decision is in line with his campaign promise to fight drug trafficking, which has led to unprecedented levels of crime in Ecuador.
It remains unclear how Noboa's decision will be implemented, as his predecessor's similar decision was never put into action.
Violent deaths in Ecuador reached a record 4,600 in 2022, double the number from the year before, largely due to the trafficking of cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru.