Ecuador election: Narco politics rule ahead of polls

[Judi Lynn]

Published
1 hour ago



Presidential candidate Daniel Noboa appears at a campaign event wearing a bullet-proof vest

By Katy Watson
South America correspondent, in Guyaquil


"Good evening Franki, this is the Jalisco New Generation [Mexican drugs cartel]," the message read, in barely legible Spanish. "If you block me, you'll get into problems. I need $6,000 [£4,710] - I'm watching you, your wife and kids."

Franklin Torres, a banana producer, ignored it - then, a few days later, another message arrived, this time sent to Franklin's wife: "Tell your husband to get his act together, we are writing from prison and there are people watching at the window."

Ecuador is the world's biggest banana exporter and the industry is a lucrative one - banana crates are a favourite mode of transporting cocaine among drugs cartels, from Ecuador's ports and on to Europe and beyond.

Mexican and Colombian cartels have infiltrated local gangs in Ecuador as they vie for lucrative drugs routes. Once one of the most peaceful countries in South America, Ecuador was hit hard by Covid and cartels have taken advantage of a country broken by the pandemic - and by corrupt politics.

More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-66540765