Ecuador set to release minor drug offenders in move away from harsh laws

2,000 Ecuadorian prisoners could be freed under new code
InSight Crime
Wednesday, August 6, 2014

prisonersAround 2,000 inmates convicted of low-level drug offences could be released in Ecuador under a new criminal code, as countries across the Americas slowly move away from harsh punishments for minor drug crimes. In an interview with El Comerico, Ecuador's chief public defender, Ernesto Pazmiño, said that thousands of people convicted of drug possession, street sales or acting as "mules" (couriers) will have their cases reassessed after the country's new Integrated Penal Code comes into force.