Ecuador's president touts US-backed crime-fighting efforts and vows to keep hunting down criminals

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QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on Sunday used his State of the Union address to tout his government’s U.S.-backed crime-fighting strategies as well as improvements of some economic indicators.

Addressing the National Assembly in the capital, Quito, Noboa cited the extradition of a dozen crime bosses to the United States and the seizure of almost 300 tons of drugs as examples of what he described as a decisive and effective approach to combat organized crime, the main concern of Ecuadorians throughout this decade.

“We will seek them out, find them and extradite them,” Noboa said of wanted criminals after he asserted that the South American country cannot develop “if families live in fear” due to organized crime.

Ecuador has struggled to contain drug violence since 2021 as rival cartels partner with local gangs and battle for control of routes and coastal ports used to smuggle cocaine. The country is wedged between Colombia and Peru, the world’s top cocaine producing countries.

Last year, Ecuador recorded its highest homicide rate in decades of 50 murders per every 100,000 residents, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

In response, Noboa, who was reelected last year to a 4-year term, has used a state of exception to allow the military to implement a variety of crime-fighting strategies, including joint patrols with police officers and property searches without warrants. Earlier this year, Ecuador’s military also carried out a joint operation with U.S. forces against a training camp allegedly used by Colombian drug traffickers, attacking the site with drones, helicopters and boats.

Noboa has come under criticism from civil society groups, who say his iron fisted methods have failed to reduce crime, while putting civilians in danger.

Glaedys González, an analyst for the Andean region at the International Crisis Group, on Sunday said Noboa may have been optimistic in his speech regarding the country’s security, but “progress on violence is far from being achieved.”

“It is evident that the situation in Ecuador has reached unprecedented levels,” González said.

Noboa on Sunday also promoted economic progress, telling lawmakers that poverty dropped from 26% to 21.4% in 2025 while extreme poverty went down from 10.4% to 8.4%.

Noboa was first elected in 2023 during a snap election triggered when then-President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly and shortened his own term.