At least 22 individuals died in shootouts in Ecuador’s biggest city, Guayaquil, on Thursday, as two groups of the Los Tiguerones gang fought for control of their territory, police officials said. The deadly confrontation is the latest in Ecuador’s battle against organized crime.
The fatal shootout took place during President Daniel Noboa’s stepped-up crackdown on drug cartels and criminal organizations. Noboa, running for reelection in an April runoff, has given top priority to security operations in the nation’s most violent areas. Authorities reported that some of the victims had previous convictions for offenses such as drug trafficking, robbery, and weapons possession.
Ecuador today is beset by gang violence, estimated to involve some 20 drug-smuggling, extortion, and kidnapping criminal organizations. Strategically located between Colombia and Peru two of the world’s largest producers of cocaine, Ecuador is now a leading transit country for drugs. Foreign cartels from Mexico and the Balkans ally with indigenous gangs, worsening security issues.
Noboa last month sought foreign military intervention to counteract organized crime that has driven up homicides over the last four years. While the homicide rate dropped in Ecuador to 38.76 per 100,000 residents last year from 46.18 in 2023, violence was still well above the 2019 rate. Ecuador logged a record monthly homicide toll of 731 in just January alone.
Guayaquil, the province capital of Guayas, has been under two months of a state of emergency since the government increased its operations against gangs. Experts warn that gangs are growing stronger with growing financial capabilities and power. Ecuador has an uphill battle ahead as it fights against organized crime amid the ongoing crackdown.
