Ecuadoreans and foreigners alike have had to dramatically alter their way of life as a country that had been known for its natural beauty and relative safety quickly turned into one of the world’s most violent. This year, Ecuador is on track to top 7,000 killings, seven times the number in 2018, government data shows. Beachfronts towns have been transformed into violent transit points for cocaine. Powerful local gangs help foreign cartels and mafias move the drugs to consumers in the U.S. and Europe. Police are outgunned, while the government has been distracted by protests and political gridlock following the pandemic.
Story for The Wall Street Journal
>>>>>>>>>>