Citizen insecurity, criminal violence, and human rights violations in Ecuador
Keywords:
Citizen security, organized crime, human rights, violenceAbstract
The research analyzed the impact of organized crime on citizen security and human rights in Ecuador, with a special emphasis on its evolution toward transnational structures and its effect on vulnerable populations. The study was developed to understand the new criminal dynamics that go beyond traditional analytical frameworks. A mixed methodology was used, combining quantitative analysis of official data (2019-2024) with interviews with key actors and a documentary review. The results demonstrated three critical phenomena: an exponential increase in child homicides, the consolidation of criminal networks with international connections, and specific patterns of gender-based violence. The analysis revealed the formation of territorial control and administration systems that operate outside legitimate state institutions, in marginalized territories where criminal groups assume state functions. The results underscored the need for comprehensive strategies to strengthen security, combat corruption, and dismantle criminal networks, focusing on international cooperation and institutional strengthening, thus ensuring an environment of peace and harmony essential for the Good Living of Ecuadorians.
Downloads
References
Barrionuevo Santamaria, L. E., Basantes Rivera, N. R., Barahona Bolaños, J. C., & Quespás Valencia, V. R. (2025). Análisis de tendencias y factores determinantes de la violencia en el Ecuador, año 2020-2024. Dominio De Las Ciencias, 11(1), 106–123. https://doi.org/10.23857/dc.v11i1.4199
Byelov, D. M., & Suhan, I. (2023). El derecho a la paz: enfoques modernos de la comprensión jurídica. Analytical and Comparative Jurisprudence, 5, 687–691. https://doi.org/10.24144/2788-6018.2023.05.122
Ecuador. Asamblea Nacional Constituyente. (2008). Constitución de la Republica de Ecuador. Registro Oficial 449. https://www.superbancos.gob.ec/bancos/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2021/11/constitucion_republica_ecuador4.pdf
Ecuador. Ministerio del Interior. (2025). Datos Históricos del 2014 al 2024 referente a la Operación Estadística de Homicidios Intencionales. Datos abiertos. https://datosabiertos.gob.ec/dataset/homicidios-intencionales/resource/36b055c8-e10c-4e57-ba25-3046ca5ef15d
Encalada Zumba, M. S., & Vega Gonzales, L. L. (2024). Efecto de los factores socioeconómicos en la inseguridad social en Ecuador. Revista Ñeque, 7(18), 277–288. https://doi.org/10.33996/revistaneque.v7i18.141
Fernández Osorio, A. E., & Lizarazo Ospina, Y. X. (2022). Crimen organizado y derechos humanos en Colombia: enfoques en el marco de la implementación del acuerdo de paz con las FARC-EP. Novum Jus, 16(2), 215–250. http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?pid=S2500-86922022000200215&script=sci_arttext
Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia. (2024). Ecuador: La tasa de homicidios de niños, niñas y adolescentes aumentó en un 640 por ciento en cuatro años–UNICEF. https://www.unicef.org/es/comunicados-prensa/ecuador-tasa-homicidios-ninos-adolescentes-aumenta-cuatro-anos
Freeman, W. (2024). Can Ecuador avoid becoming a Narco-State? Current History, 123(850), 56–62. https://doi.org/10.1525/curh.2024.123.850.56
González, M. A. (2024). Junio fue el mes más violento de 2024 en Ecuador: 592 personas fueron asesinadas Para hacer uso de este contenido cite la fuente y haga un enlace a la nota original en. Primicias. https://www.primicias.ec/seguridad/junio-muertes-violentas-incremento-conflicto-armado-ecuador-74437/
Hernández Alvear, N., González Garzón, M., & Sandoval Vallejo, V. D. (2022). ¿Pueden las Fuerzas Armadas intervenir en el crimen organizado transnacional? USFQ Law Review, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.18272/ulr.v9i2.2753
Iazzetta, M., & Gaiero, M. (2025). Narcotráfico y política. Gestión de la seguridad pública y violencia en Rosario, Argentina (2013-2015). URVIO. Revista Latinoamericana De Estudios De Seguridad, (41), 30–46. https://doi.org/10.17141/urvio.41.2025.6277
Makwana, G., & Elizabeth, H. (2022). Problems faced by Children in Ecuador: Realizing the Rights of Children. Himalayan J. Soc. Sci. & Humanities, 17, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.51220/hjssh.v17i1.1
Martinez Almanza, M. T. (2024). Seguridad Ciudadana en Latinoamérica: Problemáticas Actuales. Instituto de Ciencias Sociales y Administración.
Miguel, M., Waissman, R. P., Lauretto, M. S., & Stern, J. M. (2022). Haphazard Intentional Sampling in Survey and Allocation Studies on COVID-19 Prevalence and Vaccine Efficacy. Entropy, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/e24020225
Ministerio de Educación, Ministerio del Interior & Policía Nacional del Ecuador. (2022). Plan Nacional “Escuelas Seguras.” https://www.fedepal.ec/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/plan_nacional_escuelas_seguras.pdf
Muñoz Carpintero, Á. (2024). Normalizando la excepción: perspectivas del derecho internacional sobre suspensión de garantías en el salvador, honduras y ecuador para el combate al crimen organizado. La Revista de Derecho, 45(1), 235–259. https://camjol.info/index.php/LRD/article/view/19387
Natow, R. S. (2020). The use of triangulation in qualitative studies employing elite interviews. Qualitative Research, 20(2), 160–173. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794119830077
Observatorio Ecuatoriano de Crimen Organizado. (2024). Boletín semestral de homicidios intencionales en Ecuador. Pan American Development Foundation (PADF). https://oeco.padf.org/boletin-homicidios-intencionales-ecuador/
Pico Medina, D. E. (2024). El desarrollo del crimen organizado y del terrorismo en Ecuador. Revista de La Academia Del Guerra Del Ejército Ecuatoriano, 17(01), 10. https://doi.org/10.24133/AGE.VOL17.N01.2024.03
Preciado Maila, O. L., Alvarado Palma , R. G., Sesme Cajo, C. B., & Viteri Chiriboga, E. A. (2024). Violencia criminal en Latinoamérica: una revisión sistemática. Dominio De Las Ciencias, 10(3), 1355–1372. https://doi.org/10.23857/dc.v10i3.3987
Taborda Ocampo, F. J., & Brausin Pérez, J. (2020). Fundamentos éticos en el proceso de investigación social. Saberes Y prácticas. Revista De Filosofía Y Educación, 5(2), 1–17. Recuperado a partir de https://revistas.uncu.edu.ar/ojs3/index.php/saberesypracticas/article/view/2415
Zou, F., Bhuiyan, M. A., Crovella, T., & Paiano, A. (2024). Analyzing the borderlands: a regional report on the Colombia–Ecuador border on political, economic, social, legal, and environment aspects. International Migration Review, 58(2), 881–897. https://doi.org/10.1177/0197918322114
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Sary Del Rocío Álvarez-Hernández, Oswaldo Xavier Torres-Merlo, Mireya Silvana Cuarán-Guerrero, Luis Germán Castro-Morales
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish in Revista UGC agree to the following terms:
1. Copyright
Authors retain unrestricted copyright to their work. Authors grant the journal the right of first publication. To this end, they assign the journal non-exclusive exploitation rights (reproduction, distribution, public communication, and transformation). Authors may enter into additional agreements for the non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal, provided that acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal is given.
© The authors.
2. License
The articles are published in the journal under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). The terms can be found at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en
This license allows:
- Sharing: Copying and redistributing the material in any medium or format.
- Adapting: Remixing, transforming, and building upon the material.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution: You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. You may do this in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses or sponsors your use.
- NonCommercial: You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- ShareAlike: If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your creation under the same license as the original work.
There are no additional restrictions. You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
