2025 Volume 42 Issue 1 Pages 61-76
Against the backdrop of Latin America's worsening public security problems in recent years, this paper examines the current situation in Ecuador. The booming cocaine market, which has followed the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, has turned Ecuador into a hub for international drug trafficking, with serious political, economic, and social consequences. This situation is the result of a complex combination of poor state governance, the missteps of successive governments, the socio-economic damage caused by the pandemic, and the Colombian Peace Accords. This case also offers valuable insights into various issues raised by existing research on the politics of public security and violent crime, including the effectiveness of the "Mano Dura" policy, the detention system, corruption and collusion, foreign immigration, and vigilante groups.
