Lost paradise ? : Gun trafficking and violence in Ecuador, June 2024 – Ecuador

Ecuador is facing an unprecedented surge in violence and crime, ranking among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of criminal incidence. Currently, it has the highest rate of violent deaths in Latin America, with 47.25 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, a figure eight times higher than in 2016, the year when Ecuador experienced its lowest rate since 1980. Once the second safest country in South America, Ecuador has now become the most violent in less than a decade.

Firearms play a central role in this security crisis. The 2023 Global Organized Crime Index highlights that arms trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal markets in Ecuador. Firearms strengthen criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and illegal mining, and they are a means of asserting territorial control. By 2023, guns were involved in nine out of ten violent deaths.

Since 2020, homicide rates have nearly doubled each year, with gun-related incidents surpassing regional and global averages. Young men have been the main victims, but the number of female victims has also increased, with 321 femicides recorded in 2023, 37% of which involved firearms.

This escalation is attributed to the relaxation of regulations governing the importation, manufacturing, trade and carrying of firearms. Despite rising gun violence, the Ecuadorian government eased several gun control measures on April 1, 2023. The move came amid institutional weaknesses, growing corruption in the security sectors, and public criticism. , expanded the legal market for firearms, thereby exacerbating violence.

This report examines the links between arms trafficking, regulatory changes, rising crime, and rising violence in Ecuador. It examines the types of firearms in the country, their origins, costs, and trafficking routes. The report concludes with urgent recommendations to combat the arms trade through national and regional strategies aimed at breaking the current cycle of violence and weakening criminal organizations.