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Ecuador's President Touts US-Backed Crime-Fighting Efforts and Vows to Keep Hunting Down Criminals
He cited the extradition of 12 crime bosses and the seizure of almost 300 tons of drugs as proof of progress against organized crime.
Addressing the National Assembly in Quito on Sunday, President Daniel Noboa touted crime-fighting achievements, citing the extradition of a dozen crime bosses and the seizure of almost 300 tons of drugs.
Ecuador has faced rising violence since 2021 as rival cartels battle for control of ports and smuggling routes, with the country recording 50 murders per 100,000 residents last year—its highest homicide rate in decades.
To combat crime, Noboa implemented a state of exception enabling military patrols and property searches without warrants, while reporting that poverty dropped from 26% to 21.4% in 2025.
Glaedys Gonzalez, an analyst for the Andean region at the International Crisis Group, counters that "progress on violence is far from being achieved," citing civil society concerns about civilian safety.
Ecuador remains wedged between Colombia and Peru, the world's top cocaine-producing nations, complicating Noboa's security efforts despite recent joint military operations with U.S. forces against drug trafficking camps.
Noboa has been criticized by civil society groups, who claim that their authoritarian methods have failed to reduce crime while putting civilians at risk.
President Daniel Noboa will present his Report to the Nation at the National Assembly in Quito on Sunday, May 24, 2026, during a ceremony marked by the commemoration of the Battle of Pichincha.