Ecuador's Lasso authorizes civilian use of guns, citing insecurity

FILE PHOTO: Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso speaks during a news conference with Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves (not pictured) at the Rafael Angel Calderon Guardia museum in San Jose, Costa Rica, March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Mayela Lopez/File Photo

(Reuters) - Ecuador has authorized the carrying and use of guns by civilians, President Guillermo Lasso said in a televised broadcast, citing rising crime and insecurity in the Andean country.

Lasso, a conservative former banker, has been fighting to tackle rising crime and violence in the streets and in prisons - where hundreds of inmates have been killed - which the government blames on drug trafficking gangs.