Crime in Ecuador is investigated by the Ecuadorian police.

Crime by type

Murder

In 2012, Ecuador had a murder rate of 12.4 per 100,000 population. There were a total of 1,924 murders in Ecuador in 2012. By 2014, this had decreased to 8.23 per 100,000, with 1,309 murders recorded that year, but since 2019 the number of homicides, often related to organized crime and narcotraffic operations, has risen to 14 per 100,000 in 2021 while widespread corruption throughout ineffective and weak political institutions provided only a weak answer to the mounting violence. In April 2022, the provinces of Guayas, Manabi, and Esmeraldas were all declared in state of emergencies for 60 days by Ecuadorean President

Guillermo Lasso Guillermo Alberto Santiago Lasso Mendoza (; born 16 November 1955) is an Ecuadorian businessman, banker, writer and politician who has served as the 47th president of Ecuador since 24 May 2021. He is the country's first centre-right president i ...

. It was reported that there is a rise in violent deaths and crimes in the said provinces this year. Along with this, 9,000 police and military are said to patrol the streets in the provinces during the 60 days.

Corruption

In a 2009 diplomatic cable from the

United States diplomatic cables leak The United States diplomatic cables leak, widely known as Cablegate, began on Sunday, 28 November 2010 when WikiLeaks began releasing classified cables that had been sent to the U.S. State Department by 274 of its consulates, embassies, and ...

released in April 2011, U.S. Ambassador Heather Hodges said that "corruption among Ecuadorian National Police officers is widespread and well-known" and that "U.S. investors are reluctant to risk their resources in Ecuador knowing that they could be targeted by corrupt law enforcement officials."

Terrorism

Domestic terrorist groups present in Ecuador include the Popular Combatants Group (PCG), the Revolutionary Militia of the People, the Marxist-Leninist Party of Ecuador, and the Alfarista Liberation Army."Chapter 2: Country Reports, Western Hemisphere Review. 2009 Incidents."
''US State Department''. Accessed January 30, 2015. Foreign groups include the Colombian groups

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army ( es, link=no, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de ColombiaEjército del Pueblo, FARC–EP or FARC) is a Marxist–Leninist guerrilla group involved in the continuing Colombian confl ...

(FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN).

Domestic violence

Although prohibited by law, domestic violence in Ecuador is a human rights problem. In a 2008 survey, 32.4% of the women interviewed aged 15–49 said they had suffered physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner.

References