Ecuador moves to fourth place in Latin America infrastructure ranking

According to a recent survey, Ecuador ranks fourth in quality of infrastructure in Latin America, only behind Panama, Chile and Mexico. The survey, conducted by the InterAmerican Federation of Construction Industries as part of the Global Competitiveness Report for 2014-2015, ranked 18 countries in the region.

New highway south of Quito.

The ranking represents rapid advancement for Ecuador, which ranked ninth in 2008 and sixth in 2012, overtaking neighbors Colombia and Peru.

Juan Ignacio Silva, president of InterAmerican Federation, said the ranking shows that Ecuador is positioning itself to be competitive in regional and international commerce in coming years. “The improvements are very impressive and they have occurred over a short period of time,” Silva said. “We give credit to the Ecuadorian government for having the vision to invest in roads, seaports and airports, as well as other transportation upgrades, and to understand that this investment will pay dividends in the future,” he said.

Silva added that private investment is also responsible for the high ranking. “Ultimately, it is a public – private partnership that will lead to success,” he said.

In January, Ecuador was ranked second in South America, after, Chile, for the quality of its highways. The ranking, by a federation of highway contractors, represented a five-position improvement over the previous ranking in 2009.

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa says improvement in infrastructure is necessary to improve the lives of Ecuador’s population. “To address issues such as education, health care and poverty, we must first build a strong infrastructure network that connects our community,” he says. “There are even connections to improved efficiency in law enforcement, because of better infrastructure,” he added.

Ecuador as moved from 10th to 3rd in the lowest murder rate in Latin America, approaching the level of the U.S.