Azuay Province has country’s lowest murder rate

The number of murders in Azuay Province dropped dramatically through the first nine months of 2025, giving the province the lowest murder rate in the country. By contrast, murders in all but three other provinces increased during the same period.

Police in Cuenca’s Parque Calderon.

From January to October, there were 20 murders in Azuay compared to 85 in 2024.

The major factor in the drop, according to the National Police, was the closure of illegal gold mines in the Camilo Ponce Enríquez canton, in northwest Azuay. There were 58 murders in the canton from January to October 2024 but only one this year.

“After the miners were expelled and mines were closed, the police established a control center in Camilo Ponce,” said Carlos Medina, a retired National Police sergeant. “This was different from operations against illegal mines in the past, when soldiers would dismantle mines and then leave. With the permanent presence of authorities, any new activity can be shut down immediately.”

The other significant factor in the province’s low crime rate, says Medina, is the city of Cuenca. “More than 75% of Azuay’s population live in Cuenca, which has one of the lowest crime rates in all of Latin America,” a fact he attributes to effective intelligence gathering and cultural tradition.

Operations to control firearms have been especially successful in Cuenca, Medina says. “Criminal organizations from the coast have difficulty establishing operations in the city due to limited highway access and frequent police road checks. Because of this, gang activity in the city is limited and mostly out of public view.”

Based on 2025 police data, Azuay Province has a murder rate of 1,56 per 100,000 inhabitants, the lowest of the country’s 24 provinces. Other provinces with low murder rates are Chimborazo (2.67), Carchi (3.39), Napo (3.56) and Loja (3.81).

Administrative Zone 6, which includes Azuay, Cañar and Morona Santiago Provinces, was the only zone, out of nine nationally, to show a drop in murders. It is also the zone with lowest overall murder rate, 2.04 per 100,000 inhabitants.