In the space of just a few years, drug trafficking and insecurity have exploded in Ecuador, with homicides rising by 800 percent between 2018 and 2023. President Daniel Noboa, who has been in power for the past year, has launched an armed campaign against the criminal groups. This war-like strategy is criticised by human rights groups, who oppose the authorities' focus on security and are warning that extrajudicial killings may have taken place. Our team reports from Guayaquil, the epicentre of the violence due to its port becoming a strategic location for drug traffickers.
