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Ecuador is taking a number of steps to overcome violence committed by drug cartels. Photo/Reuters
QUITO – Ecuador is struggling to control rising violence, with mayors fearing for their lives and the central government admitting to a rise in extortion and kidnappings amid a 90-day state of emergency declared to crack down on criminal groups.
Over the weekend, the country's youngest mayor, 27-year-old Brigitte Garcia, and her communications chief were found dead from gunshot wounds.
The killings, condemned as assassinations by some politicians, came after an explosion of unrest in January, when gunmen stormed a live television broadcast and a number of prison staff were taken hostage, while police officers were kidnapped.
In response, President Daniel Noboa's government ordered a widespread security force operation. Between January 9 and March 10, nearly 13,000 people were arrested, according to the government, 280 people were arrested for alleged links to terrorism.
4 Government Strategies in Ecuador Against Drug Cartels That Often Kill Officials and Politicians
1. The security crisis has worsened since the pandemic
Photo/Reuters
According to Reuters, the security crisis in Ecuador has worsened since the coronavirus pandemic, which has also hit the country's economy in the Andean region.
Noboa's predecessor, President Guillermo Lasso, struggled to control the violence and took steps such as relaxing gun controls to allow civilians to defend themselves.
The number of violent deaths rose to 7,994 in 2023, according to police, up nearly two-thirds from the 2022 figure. The violence entered the political arena last year when anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated.
The government blames the situation on the expanding reach of cocaine trafficking gangs, which have rocked much of South America.
Inside Ecuador's prisons, gangs exploit weak state control to expand their power. Prison violence has become increasingly frequent, resulting in hundreds of deaths in incidents that authorities attribute to gang fighting for control of prisons.
Currently, around 10 prisons across the country are under the control of security forces, including members of the military, Interior Minister Monica Palencia told local television on Wednesday.