QUITO.- He President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, On Wednesday, Noboa announced a significant increase in security measures in the city of Durán, in response to the alarming escalation of violence linked to drug trafficking activities. During an event in this city, near the port of Guayaquil, Noboa said that his government will not allow mafias to continue operating with impunity.
The president arrived at the event in a military tank, accompanied by a contingent of heavily armed soldiers, and dressed in a bulletproof vest and helmet, symbolizing his administration’s determination to confront the crisis. “Don’t be surprised if what is coming is drastic, just be prepared because the mafias’ days are numbered,” said Noboa.
Since early Wednesday morning, more than 1,100 security personnel, including police and military personnel, have been deployed in the most conflictive areas of Durán. These operations include intensive patrols, searches in the streets and raids on homes suspected of hosting illegal activities.
The decision to step up the military presence in Durán comes amid growing violence in the country. In January, Ecuador was declared in an “internal armed conflict” following the escape of a known drug trafficker from a prison in Guayaquil, an event that sparked a series of violent clashes between criminal gangs and security forces. These unrest resulted in numerous deaths, including the capture of prison guards as hostages and the armed takeover of a television station.
Ecuador, located between Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest cocaine producers, has seen its role in drug trafficking increase, becoming a major logistical hub for the shipment of illicit substances. This has led to a rise in homicides and crimes such as extortion and kidnapping.
In 2023, Durán was one of the cities most affected by violence, recording 450 murders. This figure is only surpassed by Guayaquil, which reported 2,320 violent deaths in the same period, according to the Ecuadorian Observatory of Organized Crime. The homicide rate in Ecuador reached a record of 47 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023, a dramatic increase from the 6 per 100,000 recorded in 2018.
Between January and July of this year, Ecuadorian authorities have seized 149 tons of drugs, far exceeding the figures for the same period in 2023, when 219 tons were confiscated throughout the year.
Source: With information from AFP