Back

Security & Strategic Review - March 2021

ECUADOR: Rise in narcotrafficking activity pushes up homicide rate

In 2020 Ecuador registered its highest murder rate in six years, despite the significant mobility restrictions in place during the worst months of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic in the country. The rise has been attributed to an escalation in gang warfare, leading to violence on the streets as well as in jails, amid an apparent surge in narcotrafficking activity. A recent coordinated massacre in four prisons which left at least 79 dead, surpassing in just one day the total number of homicides in jails in 2020, has shocked the country and will move security up the political agenda. Nonetheless, although the government has launched a campaign to strengthen security forces and reinforce jails, progress in reversing the trend will ultimately depend on the priorities of the incoming administration.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 1234 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

LatinNews
Intelligence Research Ltd.
167-169 Great Portland Street,
5th floor,
London, W1W 5PF - UK
Phone : +44 (0) 203 695 2790
Contact
You may contact us via our online contact form
Copyright © 2022 Intelligence Research Ltd. All rights reserved.