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Gunmen opened fire with more than 50 rounds at a group gathered in a northern Guayaquil park near a school late Wednesday night, killing four people aged 25 to 65 and wounding two others in the latest act of sicario violence in the city.
Since December 24, 2025, only the Rumichaca crossing (Colombia) and Huaquillas crossing (Peru) remain open for international land transit. All other border bridges are physically barricaded as part of the government's security strategy.
President Noboa announced Friday that the national government will operate from Guayaquil for several weeks, with the National Police high command relocating as well. The move comes two days after the arrest of Guayaquil’s mayor and amid record violence that made Ecuador the world’s most dangerous country in 2025.
A man was shot dead by hitmen Friday morning in Manta's Ceibo Renacer sector, bringing the body count to 66 in 44 days. A separate massacre in Santa Ana marked the third mass-killing event in Manabí province this year.
The ACLED Conflict Watchlist 2026 ranks Ecuador among the planet’s most dangerous nations. Over 3,600 people died from organized crime violence in 2025 — a 42% increase — and 71% of the population was exposed to criminal violence, the highest rate in Latin America.
Gunmen opened fire at the artisanal fishing pier in San Vicente, Manabí, on February 9, killing at least four fishermen and injuring one. The attack occurred in a canton under an active state of emergency and raises fresh concerns about safety in Ecuador's coastal beach towns.
President Noboa declared a fresh state of emergency on January 2 covering nine provinces and three municipalities after a mass shooting in Manta. Military operations target Los Lobos, Los Choneros, and Los Tiguerones. Here's what it means for daily life.
Ecuador recorded 9,216 intentional homicides in 2025 - an average of 25 per day. Here's where the violence is concentrated and which areas remain safe for expats.
