ECUADOR · SECURITY
Key Facts
- What is happening Homicides in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, fell from 128 to 110 between 1 January and 19 August 2026, compared with the same period of 2025.
- Why it matters Ecuador had a record 9,216 murders in 2025, and the United States has designated two Ecuadorian gangs as terrorist organisations.
- The numbers Quito’s homicides fell about 14% by 19 August, while Ecuador’s national count fell about 8%, to roughly 6,285, through September.
- Who is who Daniel Noboa is Ecuador’s conservative president; the National Police count Quito’s killings, and the Interior Ministry publishes national totals.
- What to watch Whether the fall holds under Decree 498, the state of exception covering Quito from Tuesday, 15 September, to Saturday, 14 November.
- Power Index Ecuador ranks 8th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 38.2 points (October 2026 edition).
- What it means for you Quito has fewer homicides than a year ago, but US travellers should still check the State Department advisory before booking.
Quito’s homicides are falling after a worse start to the year. Here is what the official counts show.
Homicides in Quito, Ecuador’s capital, are down about 14% so far in 2026, the National Police say. The count was 110 at the police cutoff of Wednesday, 19 August, against 128 a year earlier.
That reverses a worse start, when police counts for early 2026 put Quito above its 2025 pace. Ecuador as a whole is also falling, by about 8% through September.
Ecuador is a key cocaine transit route, and Washington designated two of its gangs as terrorist organisations in 2025. That makes the capital’s security a question for US travellers, diplomats and companies.
What Happened
The National Police published the figures on Friday, 21 August, with a cutoff of 19 August. It also reported an 18% drop in Quito’s main crime indicators against a year earlier.
Police also counted 145 violent deaths of every kind in the same period, down 13%. They report Quito under Zone 9, their name for the capital’s metropolitan district.
President Daniel Noboa signed Executive Decree 498 on Tuesday, 15 September, a 60-day state of exception running to Saturday, 14 November. It covers eight provinces including Pichincha, where Quito sits, plus three smaller municipalities.
The decree lets the armed forces support police and suspends the inviolability of the home, allowing immediate searches. A night curfew from 17 to 30 September applied only to El Oro, Guayas, Los Ríos and Manabí, not Pichincha.
Earlier, on Monday, 3 August, Noboa announced a Quito protection plan with 4,000 extra police and soldiers. The police figures end before Decree 498, so they cannot show what the current state of exception has done.
The Numbers Behind the Fall
Ecuador recorded a record 9,216 homicides in 2025, about 51 per 100,000 people, the Interior Ministry says. The ministry counted about 6,285 through September 2026, against 6,838 a year earlier, a fall of about 8%.
The national fall is led by Guayaquil, the port city, while El Oro province has risen sharply. Quito’s 14% fall is steeper, though its data end on 19 August.
Why It Matters
The UN drugs office, UNODC, says world cocaine production hit a record 4,100 tonnes in 2024. It calls Ecuador a key sea route, where traffickers hide cocaine in banana cargo, though exporters are generally not implicated.
The US State Department designated Los Choneros and Los Lobos, two Ecuadorian gangs, as foreign terrorist organisations on Thursday, 4 September 2025. It links both to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
What It Means for You
Quito has fewer homicides than a year ago, but travellers should still check the US State Department advisory before booking. Companies with staff there should watch the 14 November expiry of the state of exception and any renewal.
Related Rio Times reports include Ecuador Homicides Hit Weekly Low of 117 and Ecuador Prison Riots Kill 8. More is on the Ecuador hub and in the Ecuador politics guide.
What Is Not Known
No Quito homicide count after 19 August was found, so the effect of the state of exception since 15 September is unknown. Official cocaine seizure totals for Quito could not be confirmed.
Early-2026 Quito counts differ between published reports, so only the direction of the early rise is stated here. National totals through September also differ by one case, so they are rounded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quito safe for US travellers?
Quito has fewer homicides than a year ago, but the latest police figure ends on 19 August. Check the State Department advisory before you go.
Are murders rising or falling in Quito?
Police counted 110 homicides to 19 August against 128 a year earlier, a fall of about 14%. Counts for early 2026 had been higher than in 2025.
What is a state of exception in Ecuador?
It is a temporary emergency regime the president declares. Under Decree 498 it lets soldiers support police and allows immediate searches until 14 November.
Which gangs are active in Ecuador?
Los Choneros and Los Lobos are the two best known. The United States designated both as terrorist organisations on 4 September 2025.
Sources: Ecuador National Police, Quito crime balance, 21 August 2026 (noticias.policia.gob.ec); Ecuador Interior Ministry, homicide statistics (cifras.ministeriodelinterior.gob.ec); Executive Decree 498, 15 September 2026; UNODC World Drug Report 2026; US State Department, Terrorist Designations of Los Choneros and Los Lobos, 4 September 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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