Ecuador: The Most Dangerous Country in Latin America?
JANUARY 20, 2023
BY BENEDICT VIGERS
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Ecuador now ranks as the least safe country in Latin America, thanks to escalating gang violence, drug trafficking and civil unrest in 2022. Nearly two in three (64%) Ecuadorians interviewed last year said they do not feel safe walking alone at night where they live, while just 35% said they do.
This situation represents a rapid and dramatic change in fortunes for the Andean country. Just five years ago, Ecuador ranked among the safest countries in the region, with a majority of its population feeling safe (52%) walking alone at night.
Ecuador’s status as the least-safe country in Latin America in 2022 was no easy feat in a region where countries routinely rank among the least safe in the world. Venezuela has ranked as the least safe in the region -- and often the world -- in most years that the World Poll has been conducted. However, the security situation in Venezuela improved in 2022, with 53% feeling unsafe walking alone at night, down from 67% the year before.
Why Has Ecuador Vaulted to No. 1?
Over the past couple of years, Ecuador has found itself to be a new nerve center in the global drug trade. Situated between the world’s two largest producers of cocaine -- Colombia and Peru -- Ecuador has historically been fairly successful in limiting its exposure to the worst effects of regional drug trafficking.
More:
https://news.gallup.com/poll/468227/ecuador-dangerous-country-latin-america.aspx
