Gang Violence Explodes in Ecuador

Ecuador’s gangs have unleashed an explosion of violence in response to the new administration’s efforts to rein in criminality, but the government’s rapid militarization of the conflict lacks an exit strategy. President Daniel Noboa declared a state of internal armed conflict on January 9 as gangs rioted in prisons, attacked security forces, and invaded a live TV news broadcast. The president named 22 criminal groups as “terrorist organizations” and ordered the country’s armed forces and police to mobilize and “neutralize” these groups.   

The rapid escalation of the conflict between the government and gangs represents the first major security crisis for Noboa, who took office in November 2023. 

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