Gun Trafficking and Violence in Ecuador

Is Paradise Lost?

Gun trafficking and violence in Ecuador

Ecuador is facing an unprecedented increase in violence and crime, ranking among the 10 countries with the highest criminal incidence globally. Currently, the highest violent death rate in Latin America is 47.25 per 100,000 inhabitants, eight times higher than in 2016, when its lowest rate was recorded since 1980. At least a decade later , from being the second safest country in South America to becoming the most violent.

Firearms play a central role in this security crisis. The 2023 Global Organized Crime Index ranks arms trafficking as one of the fastest growing criminal markets in Ecuador. Firearms strengthen criminal organizations involved in drug trafficking and illegal mining, and are a means of asserting territorial control. By 2023, firearms will be involved in new violent deaths every ten years.

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

This increases the flexibility of regulations governing the importation, manufacture, trade and carrying of firearms. Due to the growing increase in armed violence, the Ecuadorian government relaxed various gun control measures on April 1, 2023. This decision, taken in the midst of weakened institutions, created corruption in the security sectors and public criticism, was expanded. the legal firearms market, exacerbating violence.

This report explores the links between arms trafficking, regulatory changes, increased crime, and increased violence in Ecuador. Examine the types of firearms in the country, their origins, costs and routes. The briefing concludes with urgent recommendations for addressing the arms trade through national and regional strategies to break the current cycle of violence and weaken criminal organizations.