Narco Corruption in Ecuador

Ecuador’s transformation from one of Latin America’s safest countries to one of its most violent: homicide rate rising from 5.8 per 100,000 (2017) to a record 51 per 100,000 (2025). Situated between Colombia and Peru, Ecuador became a critical cocaine transshipment hub. Prison-based gangs (Los Choneros, Los Lobos) backed by rival Mexican cartels (Sinaloa vs. CJNG) fight for control of ports and trafficking routes. Albanian mafia groups have become dominant brokers for European cocaine markets.

The August 2023 assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and the January 2024 “Fito” prison escape triggered a declared state of internal armed conflict.