News
Quito Conference Focuses on Money Laundering and Anti-Corruption
Greater cooperation and broader communication were the key themes at a four-day conference publicizing the expanded role of the Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera (Financial Intelligence Unit) as an active investigative unit responsible for analyzing potential cases of corruption and money laundering in Ecuador. Read more »
Podcast: Criminal Justice Reform in Ecuador
Charles Caruso, Director of ABA ROLI’s Criminal Justice Project in Ecuador discusses the transforming face of the country’s criminal justice system, the practical implications for implementation and the importance of creating a sustainable, cooperative system of justice. Read more »»
ABA ROLI Sponsors a Study Tour to Puerto Rico for Ecuadorian Legal Professionals
The American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) continues to aid the Ecuadorian legal community in its changeover from an inquisitorial to an accusatorial (or adversarial) legal system. Toward this end, ABA ROLI sponsored a study tour to Puerto Rico for members of Ecuador’s Consejo Nacional de la Judicatura (National Judicial Advisory Committee), Ministerio Público (Prosecutor’s Office), and Policía Judicial (Judicial Police). Read more »
Programs
Strengthening the Criminal Justice System in Ecuador
In July 2006, ABA ROLI's Latin America and Caribbean Division began a major project to enhance the understanding of an adversarial criminal justice system in Ecuador. The US Embassy in Quito awarded the ABA Rule of Law Initiative a large multi-year grant to carry out criminal justice procedure trainings throughout the nation. Read more »»
Seminars on New Criminal Procedure Code
Since July 2005 and until July 2007, this project has been working with Ecuadorian judges and prosecutors on issues regarding the changes that Ecuador has made in its criminal procedures by switching from an inquisitorial system to an adversarial one. Read more »»
Trafficking in Persons in Ecuador
From 2004 to 2007, ABA ROLI led a Project to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Ecuador with funds from the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons office. During the project, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative worked with Ecuador’s government and NGO community to disseminate knowledge about human trafficking and to mobilize the Ecuadorian government and citizenry to combat the problem. Read more »»
US Embassy in Ecuador Conference on Trafficking in Persons
On June 30 and July 1, 2004 ABA ROLI's Latin America and Caribbean Division in collaboration with the Supreme Court of Ecuador and the National Council of the Judiciary sponsored a conference titled, Trafficking in Persons in Ecuador: The Problem and Appropriate Responses. The conference was funded by the U.S. embassy in Ecuador. Read more »»
Public Service Announcements (PSA's) on Human Rights
The ABA Rule of Law Initiative Latin America and Caribbean Division has prepared five PSA's regarding the basic rights of children under the Ecuadorian Constitution. Many think that Ecuador has one of the most advanced constitutions of any country in Latin America or the world, but, due to inherent inequalities in the political system, few people are aware of the basic rights that they are guaranteed under the constitution. Read more »»
Charles A. Caruso
Country Director
Avenida 12 de octubre 1942 y Cordero
Quito, Ecuador
Phone: +593-2-223-9102
Email: carusoch@staff.abanet.org
Background
The ABA Rule of Law Initiative Latin America and Caribbean Division began to have contact with Ecuadorian government officials about doing trainings of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys on the new adversarial justice system in 2003.
Like many other nations in Latin America, Ecuador has recently changed its system from a traditionally inquisitorial criminal justice system to a more adversarial one. The transition has led to questions about how adversarial systems operate. The ABA Rule of Law Initiative is now carrying out a large project to address these needs.
In 2004, as the severe problem that Ecuador has with human trafficking began to draw more international attention, ABA ROLI's Latin America and Caribbean Division held a conference on the issue in Cuenca with the support of the U.S. Embassy. Soon after that conference, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative received a multi-year grant to begin working on an anti-trafficking initiative from the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Office.
Publications
Meet Our Staff
Carlos Arrobo joined the activities of the ABA Rule of Law Initiative in September 2004 as project manager of the Project to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Ecuador. The main objective of the project was to develop the three main responses to trafficking, prevention, prosecution and protection, to establish in Ecuador a system that is able to deal with this crime when it occurs. The efforts of the project were palpable in Ecuador and recognized in the US, as Ecuador was the first country to successfully jump from Tier 3 over Tier 2 Watch directly to Tier 2 in the US Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons. Carlos states that, "the position allowed me to put in practice all my interpersonal skills and my legal knowledge to serve my country against this terrible crime." Read more »»
