Ecuadorean soldiers found guilty of forced disappearance of boys
Three former Ecuadorean soldiers have been found guilty of the forced disappearance of two teenage boys. The incident took place in the town of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, in June 2020. The soldiers involved were part of a military operation aimed at combating drug trafficking in the region.
According to the court proceedings, the soldiers detained the two boys, aged 14 and 16, under the suspicion of being associated with a local criminal group. However, instead of following legal procedures, the soldiers allegedly interrogated and then made the boys disappear. Their remains have not been found to this day.
During the trial, the soldiers claimed they were acting under orders and believed the boys posed a threat to the operation. The defense argued that in the context of combating organized crime, swift actions were sometimes necessary to ensure the safety of the military personnel.
The prosecution, on the other hand, emphasized that the soldiers had a duty to respect human rights and follow the law. They stated that the forced disappearance of individuals, especially minors, is a grave violation of human rights and cannot be justified under any circumstances.
The verdict was delivered by a civilian court, marking a significant moment in Ecuador’s judicial history. The three soldiers were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in the disappearance of the boys.
The case has sparked national outrage and raised concerns about the conduct of security forces in the country. Human rights organizations have praised the verdict as a step towards justice for the victims and their families.
Sources Analysis:
Court records – reliable source as it provides firsthand information about the legal proceedings and the verdict.
Human rights organizations – may have a bias towards advocating for the rights of victims and holding perpetrators accountable.
Defense lawyers – likely to present information in a way that benefits their clients’ interests.
Fact Check:
Soldiers found guilty of forced disappearance – Verified facts, based on the court’s verdict.
Boys were detained under suspicion – Unconfirmed claims, as the exact circumstances of the boys’ detention may not be fully known.
Claims of acting under orders – Statements that cannot be independently verified, as they rely on the soldiers’ testimony without concrete evidence.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Ecuadorean soldiers found guilty of forced disappearance of boys”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.