Ecuador, once among the safest countries in Latin America, now faces an insecurity crisis with the incursion of international criminal groups. President Daniel Noboa, now facing a reelection fight, is attempting to convince voters his hardline mano dura approach is one of the reasons to stay the course. Vanda Felbab-Brown, a security expert at Brookings Institution, explains what caused a perfect storm of insecurity in the country, what Noboa’s approach has been so far, and why the success of Nayib Bukele of El Salvador may be tough to replicate in Ecuador.

Access other episodes of Latin America in Focus at www.as-coa.org/podcast and send us feedback at latamfocus@as-coa.org. Share and subscribe at Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get more insights on what’s driving voters in Latin America in this year's 2025 Election Guide: www.as-coa.org/2025elections

The music in this episode is Jasper String Quartet performing Vivian Fung’s “Insects and Machines” for Americas Society.

Opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of Americas Society/Council of the Americas or its members.

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