Ecuador's president promises answers and no 'cover up' after 4 children disappear

GUAYAQUIL, Ecuador — Under pressure from human rights organizations and fellow Ecuadorians, President Daniel Noboa on Monday said his government will not cover up for anyone involved in the disappearance of four children who were last seen running away from a military convoy.

Noboa, in an interview with a local radio station, promised answers in the case but said it was premature to classify it as a forced disappearance. His comments came as people demonstrated in the coastal city of Guayaquil, where the children went missing on Dec. 8.

''We are on the side of justice, and whether it was a civilian, a priest, a policeman, a soldier who was involved, at the end of the day, people need answers,'' Noboa, who is seeking reelection in February, told Radio Democracy. ''We are not going to cover up for anyone.''

The children, aged 11 to 15, disappeared after playing soccer at night in Guayaquil's Las Malvinas neighborhood. The father of one told local media the children began to run when two vehicles carrying people wearing military uniforms arrived in the area. The father, who was not identified by news outlets, said the children were chased and four were caught and driven away.

On Monday, dozens of people gathered outside the Attorney General's Office in Guayaquil to demand information about the children's whereabouts, saying it should be investigated as a forced disappearance.

Fernando Bastias, a member of the Ecuador's nongovernmental organization Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, said the disappearances constitute ''a serious violation of human rights'' and called for the prosecution of any military personnel involved.

The Attorney Genera's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.