It is not news that Ecuador is considered an international center for drug trafficking, but the latest analysis by the National Police provides information that could help implement measures to help the country regain control of the territory.

The largest flow of drugs enters through the northern border (Ecuador-Colombia), through human couriers, vehicles with hidden couplings, camouflaged as cargo, and arrives at strategic places: points near seaports and drug warehouses at border crossings in the south of the country. In the midst of this, there is a dispute over territory between criminal groups linked to a foreign mafia, a situation that has the effect of increasing violence on the streets.

This shows once again that international cooperation – especially with neighboring countries – is necessary. You can’t do it alone, neither us nor them.

What is the situation with the drug trade in Ecuador?: Police presented a report revealing a three-year scenario

Marijuana, heroin, base paste and – mostly – cocaine hydrochloride are transported across the country. Between 2019 and 2022 alone, the authorities seized 619 million tonnes, of which 87% correspond to ‘products’ intended for international drug trafficking.

Short duration, currency and low banking are among the factors that make Ecuador ‘attractive’ to these thugs. The task ahead is to articulate better controls (land, sea and air) and surveillance and financial promotion, in order to reduce the facilities that criminals find.

Failure to do so immediately, with sufficient resources and strong will, has consequences for a society that lives anyway in fear of going out and being a direct or indirect victim of that power struggle between the aforementioned thugs or common crime. This perception cannot be removed with a homicide rate like that of 2022, of 25.9 per 100,000 inhabitants, which is almost four times more than in 2019. Authorities, public forces and society must come together to find timely and effective solutions in the short, medium and long term. This includes not only stopping violence, but also what feeds it. (OR)