# Crime and violence in South America

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/crime-and-violence-in-south-america
> Updated: 2026-10-25T04:41:38.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

Criminal activity has been reported across several South American regions, involving theft, kidnapping, and fatal violence.

In Ecuador, incidents include an armed group entering a residential complex in Samborondón to kidnap a father and his 14-year-old son, as well as a fatal shooting of a passenger on a bus in Durán. In Colombia, new theft methods have emerged in the transportation sector, where criminals pose as passengers to steal valuables from travelers on buses.

In Uruguay, police conducted operations in Montevideo resulting in the arrest of four men for cable theft.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-25: Crime incidents reported in Colombian buses and Ecuador

Criminal activity is impacting bus travel, with reports of passengers being targeted for theft in Colombia and a fatal shooting of a passenger in Durán, Ecuador.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/crime-incidents-reported-in-colombian-buses-and-ecuador

### 2026-10-16: Unrelated criminal incidents reported in Montevideo and Samborondón

Police in Montevideo arrested four men for cable theft, while an armed group kidnapped a father and son in Samborondón, Ecuador.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/unrelated-criminal-incidents-reported-in-montevideo-and-samborondn

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Cite as: Crime and violence in South America. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/crime-and-violence-in-south-america