Recent Violence in Ecuador Underscores the Country's Growing Gang Problem

Ecuador's president, Daniel Noboa, has ordered that criminal gangs be "neutralised" after days of chaos in the South American country.

The uptick in gang activity was underscored by a prison riots and brazen attack on a TV studio during a live broadcast. The country is now under a 60-day state of emergency.

Why is the Murder Rate Rising?

Ecuador's homicide rate was similar to the United States as recently as 2020, but the explosion in gang violence has pushed those numbers up dramatically. The country's ports and location between South America's biggest cocaine producers make it a key transit point for drug shipments.

Until 2016, the drug trade was primarily run by the farc–the Colombian guerrilla group–which helped tamp down open conflict. After the demobilization of the farc following a peace treaty, external gangs rushed into the country to fill the power vacuum. Ecuadorian prisons have long been plagued by violence, as members of rival gangs clash, but it appears that violence is increasingly spilling over onto the streets… and even the airwaves.