# Ecuador environmental and security risks

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/ecuador-environmental-and-security-risks
> Updated: 2026-09-15T01:50:47.000Z. Sources: 17. Developments: 2.

Ecuador is facing significant vulnerabilities stemming from both natural disasters and systemic social instability. In Quito, urban expansion is complicated by high seismic risk, with the Cámara de la Industria de la Construcción (CAMICON) reporting that approximately 70% of buildings in the capital are constructed under informal conditions. Technical studies suggest that up to 45% of these informal structures could collapse during a high-intensity earthquake.

On a broader scale, the country has dealt with 93 major disasters over the last four decades, affecting more than one-fifth of the population. These environmental threats are compounded by severe security challenges, as criminal groups exert control through extortion and drug trafficking. Systemic corruption within public offices, the judiciary, and medical procurement sectors continues to undermine institutional stability.

Recent developments indicate a surge in violent crime and targeted attacks. In Manabí, a medical doctor and an ambulance driver from the Ministry of Public Health were murdered in an ambush near the Jama canton while returning from the Miguel H. Alcívar Hospital. Violence has also struck Manta, where two people were killed at the Central Market, and Guayaquil, where fatal shootings occurred in the Sauces 8 sector and the Jaime Toral cooperative. A 20-year-old was also killed in La Concordia.

In response to the escalating insecurity, President Daniel Noboa has declared a new 60-day state of exception across eight provinces. This decree includes a nighttime curfew in four of those provinces to combat criminal activities such as kidnappings, extortions, and armed attacks.

## Claims

- A doctor and an ambulance driver from the Ministry of Public Health were murdered in Manabí. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The attack on the ambulance occurred around 19:00 on the road to the Jama canton. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- Two people, a 23-year-old man and a 16-year-old, were killed in a shooting at the Manta Central Market. (single source)
- A teenager was shot and killed in the Jaime Toral cooperative area of southern Guayaquil. (single source)
- A man was killed inside a motorcycle parts shop in the Sauces 8 sector of Guayaquil. (single source)
- A 20-year-old man was killed in the El Mirador neighborhood of La Concordia. (single source)
- Police arrested three individuals and recovered a stolen motorcycle in Esmeraldas. (single source)
- Security footage showed five hooded criminals entering a home in the Los Troncos neighborhood. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-09-15: Ecuador security crisis: Doctor and driver murdered in Manabí ambush

Ecuador faces a violent surge as gunmen kill a doctor and driver in Manabí, and multiple others in Manta and Guayaquil. President Noboa has declared a new state of exception in eight provinces.

17 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ecuador-faces-dual-threats-from-natural-disasters-and-systemic-crime

### 2026-09-06: Quito faces high seismic risk due to informal construction

High seismic risk in Ecuador poses a threat to Quito, where 70% of buildings are informal and up to 45% could collapse during an earthquake, according to CAMICON.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/quito-faces-high-seismic-risk-due-to-informal-construction

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Cite as: Ecuador environmental and security risks. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/ecuador-environmental-and-security-risks