Ecuador experiences rise in physical aggression reports

Ecuador has seen a 10.9% increase in emergency calls for physical, verbal, and personal aggressions coordinated by ECU 911 between 2025 and 2026. This follows a three-year decline in such reports. Specifically, aggressions against persons rose from 12,394 to 16,333, marking the highest level in the recorded series. Physical aggressions also increased by 8%, while verbal aggressions continued to decline.

While national homicide rates decreased by 8.1% during the same period, the country faces significant challenges with structured macro-criminality. In 2025, the homicide rate reached 50.1 per 100,000 inhabitants. Criminal activities such as extortion, kidnappings, and the use of firearms—which accounted for approximately 88% of intentional homicides—have created severe psychosocial impacts, including widespread hypervigilance and trauma among the population. High concentrations of kidnappings have been reported in Guayaquil, Durán, Samborondón, and Los Ríos.