ABSTRACT
Notably, the violence and policy responses represent marked departures from Ecuador's recent past. This chapter begins with an examination of the trends in gangs, organized crime, and violence in Ecuador. It describes how governments have combated criminal groups, narcotrafficking, and violence, from a hardline approach in the 1990s and 2000s, to the adoption of an innovative “state of guarantees” model under Rafael Correa, to the re-adoption of some punitive policies in the 2010s and especially in the 2020s. Ecuador's strategic geography and endemic corruption have made the country attractive to criminal groups of different stripes. Among other things, the country is a major trans-shipment hub for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine trafficked to the United States and Western and Central Europe. Relating to the climate of fear and greater tolerance of mano dura, a host of scholars show how media coverage of crime may also shape individuals’ attitudes and policy preferences.
