Over the past decade, drug trafficking and organized crime have transformed Ecuador from one of Latin America's safest countries into one of the most dangerous places in the world.
According to the 2025 country conditions report from the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Ecuador's homicide rate has skyrocketed from 6.7 per 100,000 people in 2020 to 44.5 in just five years—now the highest in South America. Similarly, homicide data collected by InSight Crime shows Ecuador's rate rose by 546% over the last decade, a sharp contrast to the regional trend. While violence surged in Ecuador, South America's average homicide rate fell by 22.6% during the same period, highlighting the growing influence of organized crime in the country.
