On February 14th, we were joined on a webinar by Michelle Maffei (Universidad de Guayaquil), Alejandro Borja (Universidad San Francisco de Quito), and José Zurita (University of Bergen) to discuss the ongoing crisis in Ecuador. LAIS Graduate Affiliate Eduardo Castro organized the event. Thank you to all who participated and attended, and to Eduardo for organizing!
Since 2020, Ecuador has experienced a significant rise in violence, political and otherwise, that continues into 2025. Our discussants brought to our attention the gravity of the situation, which stems from multiple factors, including the actions of local gangs and international cartels.
Alejandro walked us through the geography of Ecuador and how each region contends with issues that may contribute to crime. Ecuador consists of four clearly differentiated regions: the coastal areas, the Andean mountain range, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Galapagos Islands. The coast of Ecuador is most greatly affected by the proliferation of gang violence related to the international drug trade, though it is not the only region impacted. Alejandro mentioned how criminals recruit youth that believe they will not face consequences for their crimes, and intimidate judges to achieve that end. At the same time, the Ecuadorian government and military have taken it upon themselves to arrest minors, some of whom are never seen again.
Michelle continued the theme of government to discuss President Daniel Noboa’s declared state of emergency in January 2024, at which point 22 terrorist groups were operating in the country. Since then, Michelle believes the number of gangs has only increased. The state violence has not only failed to mitigate organized crime, but possibly contributed to further disorder. Ecuador also has become a major source of the world’s cocaine. The weak judicial system and proximity to the Panama Canal explain the international cartels’ interest in the country; locally, even minors are incentivized to join organized crime for various reasons, including security for themselves and their families.
José followed up on these points by emphasizing the government’s failure. He attributed this to a lack of leadership and accountability at many levels. In José’s eyes, too few political candidates in recent elections have sufficient political experience. Furthermore, the lack of involvement of youth in government should indicate that political parties need to court them. More participation in the Ecuadorian government could bring these young people away from potential gang recruitment.
This horrific violence remains an issue across Ecuador and impacts the lives of many. While it was a somber discussion, we once again thank our discussants for their insights, and Eduardo for making this Tertulia possible.