Ecuador’s War on Gangs Stumbles in Key Coastal City
The Ecuadorian government is brandishing the results of its national gang crackdown as a victory, but continuing violence in the…
Prisoner Torture and Abuse Rife in Ecuador’s Gang Crackdown
When the military entered Latacunga prison in Cotopaxi, Ecuador on the afternoon of January 14, the inmates knew they were…
Ecuadorians Back President’s Security Agenda But Challenges Await
Ecuadorians delivered an overwhelming show of support for President Daniel Noboa’s hardline security policies in a referendum held as the…
After Sanctions, Will Ecuador Put a Stop to Shark-Fin Trafficking?
Authorities in Ecuador are contemplating a response to an international sanction of its shark trade, which could be the first…
How Criminal Elites in Ecuador Twist Legal Norms to Skirt Justice
Ecuador’s judiciary is struggling to stop well-connected criminals from turning legal safeguards meant to protect civil rights into loopholes for…
Ecuador Raid on Mexico Embassy Risks Support for Security Plans
The raid by Ecuadorian security forces on the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest former Vice President Jorge Glas not…
Plata o Plomo: Ecuador’s Public Servants in Gangs’ Crosshairs
The murder of Ecuador’s youngest mayor spotlights how the country’s criminal groups violently target public officials who cannot be bought…
Metastasis Case Exposes Ecuador’s Corruption Cancer
While security crackdowns are targeting Ecuador’s gangs in the streets, recent cases show that high-level government corruption has also become…
InSight Crime’s 2023 Cocaine Seizure Round-Up
Record cocaine production and high demand for the drug contributed to criminal violence across Latin America and the Caribbean in…
Unmasking the Foreign Players on Ecuador’s Criminal Chessboard
Ecuador declared war on 22 domestic drug trafficking gangs in January, proclaiming them terrorist organizations and arresting over 11,000 suspects.…