The Latest Breaking News from Juan Zapata

Banana fortune heir Daniel Noboa wins Ecuador presidential election

Luisa González, handpicked by Rafael Correa as successor, loses to 35-year-old who promises tough line on violent crime and cocaine trafficking

The Guardian - UK · Oct 16, 2023

Car bomb explosions and hostage-taking inside prisons underscore Ecuador's fragile security

The fragile security of Ecuador has been underscored by the explosions of four car bombs and the hostage-taking of more than 50 law enforcement officers inside various detention facilities

The Independent UK · Sep 1, 2023

Ecuador rocked by gang-related violence as law enforcement officers taken hostage in prisons

Ecuador's fragile security situation was underscored Thursday by a series of car bombings and the hostage-taking of more than 50 law enforcement officers inside various prisons, just weeks after the country was shaken by the assassination of a presidential candidate.

France 24 · Sep 1, 2023

Ecuador, Belgium sign deal to fight crime after mega cocaine bust

Ecuador and Belgium on Monday agreed to increase bilateral cooperation in their fight against international organized crime, a day after Ecuadorean police seized nearly nine tonnes of drugs bound for the European country.

Reuters · Feb 27, 2023

Ecuador top drug trafficker captured in Colombian border city -police

One of Ecuador's most wanted drug traffickers, accused of having close ties with Mexican drug cartels, was captured in a Colombian city close to the border between the two countries, police in Quito said on Thursday.

Reuters · Feb 9, 2023

Ecuador accuses 28 local election candidates of possible crime links

Ecuador's government on Wednesday accused 28 candidates in local elections in cities across the country of having possible ties to drug trafficking and illegal mining in a report submitted to prosecutors, Interior Minister Juan Zapata said.

Reuters · Jan 25, 2023

Headless bodies and deadly bombs: cartel violence escalates in Ecuador

On Tuesday, President Guillermo Lasso announced a curfew under a new state of emergency in Guayas and Esmeraldas regions

The Guardian - US · Nov 2, 2022

Five police killed in Ecuador; state of emergency declared

At least five Ecuadorean police officers were killed on Tuesday in explosive attacks in response to prisoner transfers from overcrowded and violent penitentiaries, prompting President Guillermo Lasso to declare a state of emergency in two provinces.

Reuters · Nov 1, 2022

Desperate families seek answers after Ecuador prison riot leaves at least 15 dead

Relatives of inmates at a prison in Ecuador where at least 15 were killed and 21 injured in a riot on Monday desperately searched for answers on Tuesday, wondering if their loved ones were among the dead.

Reuters · Oct 4, 2022