Crime is shifting from the coasts to the interior of Ecuador, turning quiet cities into hotbeds of violence

"According to the annual ranking by the Mexican organization Citizen Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, which compiles a list of the 50 most dangerous cities in the world, six Ecuadorian cities will appear among the top 10 in 2025. Babahoyo appears on the list for the first time as the second most violent, with 166 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants."

"A decade ago, in the main cities of Los Rios, El Oro, and Manabi, the homicide rate did not exceed 15 per 100,000 inhabitants. Today, it is three or four times higher. The increase has been abrupt."

"Luis was born in Quevedo, in the agricultural province of Los Rios. He grew up surrounded by banana, plantain, and coffee farms. We want to think that life goes on as usual, but we no longer have that peaceful life we once had, he says months after the kidnapping."

Ecuador faces a severe crime crisis with violence spreading to new regions. Six Ecuadorian cities rank among the world's 50 most dangerous, with Babahoyo now second globally at 166 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. Cities like Machala, Quevedo, and Guayaquil experience unprecedented violence levels. A decade ago, homicide rates in Los Rios, El Oro, and Manabi provinces were below 15 per 100,000; today they are three to four times higher. Kidnapping and extortion have become routine crimes affecting ordinary citizens. Luis, a kidnapping survivor, escaped after 15 days of captivity when his captors abandoned him and two other victims after draining their bank accounts. The violence has fundamentally altered daily life in affected regions.

Read at english.elpais.com