Ecuador closes 2025 as its most violent year, hit by organized crime

Quito. — Ecuador ends the year 2025 with unprecedented levels of violence, marked by a historic record of homicides and a strong presence of organized crime that has defied the government’s efforts to control insecurity. By December 19, 8,847 homicides had been recorded throughout the country, surpassing the records of previous years and consolidating 2025 as the most violent in recent Ecuadorian history. Violence is mainly linked to the dispute between criminal organizations for the control of drug trafficking routes, as well as episodes of urban violence and internal conflicts of gangs.

Factors in the Rise of Violence

• Prolonged states of exception: Several provinces, such as Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos, and El Oro, have been under a state of exception for more than 550 days, without this stopping the escalation of homicides.
• Sustained increase in homicides: The rebound in murders in 2025 is significant compared to 2024, with certain months reaching extraordinary levels of violence.
• Crisis in key regions: Coastal provinces, especially Guayas —where Guayaquil concentrates the majority of violent crimes— have been the epicenters of violence.

Government Response

The Executive, headed by President Daniel Noboa, has declared multiple states of exception and deployed security forces with the aim of combating organized crime. However, the incidence of homicides and violent acts has continued at an alarming rate throughout the year. The security crisis in Ecuador reflects the major challenges the country faces in curbing violence and restoring a sense of security among the population, in a context marked by drug trafficking and territorial disputes between criminal gangs.