Why Ecuador Feels Increasingly Unstable

Ecuador is undergoing a profound political and security transformation. Once regarded as one of the more stable countries in Latin America, it now faces escalating violence, institutional strain and growing political tension.

In this episode of The LatinNews Podcast, Richard McColl speaks with Samuele Mazzolini, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow and researcher at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and FLACSO Ecuador, about the forces reshaping Ecuador under President Daniel Noboa.

The discussion examines the rapid expansion of organised crime, the fragmentation of local gangs, the limits of the government’s security strategy and the broader weakening of state institutions. We also look at Noboa’s increasingly confrontational political style, tensions with Colombia, and the growing role of the United States in Ecuador’s security landscape.

As insecurity spreads beyond the country’s traditional hotspots and public frustration rises, the episode asks a broader question: what has happened to Ecuador’s stability, and where is the country heading next?

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