The Evolution of Organized Crime and Failed Security Policies in Ecuador

• Criminologist Diego Salamea argues that Ecuador's escalating violence is fueled by ineffective, purely repressive state strategies that fail to address the systemic roots of criminal activity.
• Government reliance on states of emergency and militarization has not only failed to curb homicides—which reached a record high of 9,216 in 2025—but has also facilitated the spread of organized crime into previously stable inland regions.

The Criminal Landscape

• Following the 2020 death of Los Choneros leader Jorge Luis Zambrano, criminal structures fragmented into dozens of rival gangs, leading to violent territorial struggles.
• Major groups like Los Choneros and Los Lobos act as proxies for international cartels, leveraging Ecuador's coastal ports to export roughly 70% of the global cocaine supply.
• Criminal organizations have successfully infiltrated political, military, and state structures, evolving into an entrenched "parallel state" that some citizens now view as more protective than local police.

Consequences of Repressive Policy

• The displacement effect: Heavy-handed enforcement in coastal hubs forces criminal operations into cities like Cuenca, Riobamba, and Loja, driving up local rates of extortion and violence.
• Prison system collapse: Penitentiaries function as criminal command centers rather than sites for rehabilitation, where the lack of social programs ensures that inmates return to crime.
• Lack of structural reform: The current "desk-bound Rambo" approach neglects necessary long-term solutions such as vocational training, educational intervention, and comprehensive public health policies.