Violence remains a persistent issue in Ecuador. In 2023, the country recorded 7,872 homicides, a trend that continued into 2024 with at least 392 deaths in the first 24 days of January and another 80 deaths over three days during Easter. Individuals challenging criminal organizations face significant risk, highlighted by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on August 9, 2023. The Los Lobos gang is suspected of his murder, which occurred shortly after Villavicencio promised to intensify efforts against gang crime.
The Escalation of Criminal Activity
The escape of Jose Adolfo Macías Villamar, leader of Los Choneros, from prison on January 7, 2024, signaled a further breakdown of law and order and increased challenges to state authority. On January 9, 2024, armed gang members stormed a live TV broadcast, inmates took control of prisons and multiple prison escapes occurred, including the leader of the Los Lobos gang. The government links the 2024 violence in Ecuador to President Daniel Noboa’s plan to build new high-security prisons for gang leaders.
Government Response to the Crisis
In response, President Noboa declared an “internal armed conflict,” imposed a 60-day state of emergency and deployed military forces nationwide to confront and dismantle criminal networks. This strict measure underscores the critical situation in Ecuador as the government strives to regain control and protect its citizens from escalating gang violence and lawlessness.
Geographic Disadvantage
Ecuador’s location between Colombia and Peru, the two largest coca-producing countries, coupled with a rise in maritime trafficking bypassing the Central American corridor, has cemented the nation’s involvement in global narco-trafficking networks. This involvement has fuelled the surge in gang crime within the country.
The 2016 peace agreement in Colombia, signed between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government, created a power vacuum in drug-trafficking routes and reshaped gang activities. As gangs battle for control, Guayaquil, Ecuador’s main international port city on the Pacific coast, has become the eye of the storm, evident from the 1,390 homicides recorded in the city in the first half of 2023.
The Human Cost of Violence
The violence in Ecuador, as reported by the Institute of Economics and Peace, cost $12 billion in 2023, compounding the country’s fiscal deficit of more than $5.7 billion. This economic strain exacerbates the existing challenges confronting Ecuadorians.
United Nations (U.N.) Special Rapporteur for Ecuador, Olivier De Schutter, highlights various factors contributing to the exploitation of individuals living in poverty, including inadequate wages, poor working conditions and limited job opportunities, particularly impacting the 34% of those aged 15 to 24 who are living in poverty.
Exploiting this vulnerability, gangs offer recruitment as an alternative to unemployment. Between January and June 2023, the National Police arrested 1,326 adolescents aged 12 to 17 for offenses ranging from illegal weapon possession to murder, micro-trafficking and robbery.
Poverty deepens as gangs extort citizens at every turn, demanding extra payments for public transport and imposing monthly “protection” taxes known as “vacuna”, with threats of violence for those who resist. This pressure has caused families dependent on street vending to close their businesses and abandon their homes.
Worries over Ecuador’s safety have led to an increase in displacement and migration among its citizens. In 2023, Ecuadorians constituted the second-largest group crossing the Darién Gap, a 100-kilometre-wide stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama. A total of 57,250 Ecuadorians migrated to the United States (U.S.), marking a 95% increase from 2022 and highlighting the urgency to escape the deteriorating situation.
Economic Impact and Strategies for Improvement
Mobilizing and equipping military forces for the conflict imposes a yearly burden of $1.02 billion on the state, impeding investment in addressing the root causes of gang violence in Ecuador.
De Schutter and other experts emphasize the crucial link between socioeconomic conditions and rising crime rates. De Schutter advises the government to address poverty by raising the minimum wage, enforcing labor laws to safeguard workers’ rights and promote equality, increasing social investment and improving the quality of education. These measures aim to break the vicious cycle in which poverty perpetuates gang-related crime and violence in Ecuador.
With 22 million people worldwide consuming cocaine and production totaling 2,304 tonnes in 2021, experts emphasize the need for the international community to reduce cocaine demand. They also call on Peru and Colombia to decrease supply.
Community Support and Development
Established on July 30, 2004, ZUMAR Multipurpose Centre is located in Bastión Popular, a Guayaquil neighborhood plagued by high poverty, substandard housing, overcrowding and inadequate access to water and sanitation. ZUMAR provides free community health services, sports and cultural activities and vocational training, all aimed at combating gang violence and enhancing the overall quality of life in the community.
The organization actively maintains a presence on social media, sharing daily updates of its diverse range of ongoing activities. Its educational courses feature woodworking, beauty and makeup and barber workshops. Its ongoing initiatives aim to empower participants with income-generating abilities, preserve cultural practices, strengthen social connections and enrich the local community.
ZUMAR’s academic enrichment programs, like a recent 18-hour algebra course and English language courses for 14 to 18-year-olds, equip students with essential academic skills, empowering them for future endeavors. Furthermore, the organization adopts a comprehensive strategy to tackle gang violence in Ecuador, encompassing economic, educational, social and youth-focused initiatives aimed at strengthening the community’s social fabric.
Looking Forward
The multifaceted approach embraced by ZUMAR and broader governmental and international efforts offers hope for reversing the trend of violence in Ecuador. The country’s ongoing initiatives promise not only to enhance public safety but also to foster socioeconomic development that can address the root causes of crime and violence in the region.
– Ben Miley-Smith
Ben is based in Oxford, UK and focuses on Good News and World News for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Unsplash