Murder and overall crime rates drop in 2024, gov’t reports; Constitutional Court rejects Noboa prisoner proposal; Economic growth is less than 1% in 2024

In a press conference Wednesday at National Police Headquarters in Quito, Interior Minister Mónica Palencia reported that homicides have dropped 16.5%, totaling 6,547 from January 1 to December 15. “These numbers show that we have made impressive progress in the fight against crime, but we understand there is much more to do,” she said.

Among the cities seeing the largest reduction in murders in 2024 are Durán, down 32%, Manta, down 29%, and Quito, down 14%.

The Constitutional Court has rejected a proposed constitutional amendment by President Daniel Noboa to remove prisoners from “vulnerable” status.

At the same press conference, National Police Commander Víctor Hugo Zárate reported that the most violent crime continues to be concentrated in four coastal provinces, Manabí, Los Ríos, Guayas and El Oro. “More than 80% of all crime and 90% of murders are recorded in these provinces and this is where we are concentrating our efforts,” he said.

Zárate reported that 282.6 tons of illegal drugs have been seized in 2024, a 29% increase over 2023. “We expect to see this amount drop in 2025 because we have shut down 39 clandestine airstrips and other points of entry used by drug traffickers,” he said. “Drug gangs are getting the message that doing business in Ecuador comes at a heavy cost.”

In a statement released after the press conference, the Interior Ministry pointed out that crime rates in many Ecuadorian cities remain low by Latin American standards. “Communities in the country’s intermountain valley continue to maintain some of the lowest crime rates in the region.” It cited Latacunga, Cuenca and Loja for having declining crime rates.

Constitutional Court rejects Noboa prisoner proposal
The Constitutional Court has declared inadmissible President Daniel Noboa’s proposal to exclude prisoners from the list of “vulnerable populations” as described in the constitution.

The ruling by eight of the nine court judges declares that “that this partial reform is not suitable to be processed as a constitutional amendment.” The judges said that such a change would constitute a “restriction of rights and guarantees.”

The ruling added that that the “vulnerable population” designation for prisoners recognized the role of rehabilitation in returning prisoners to the general population once they have served their sentences.

Economic growth is less than 1%
The Latin America and the Caribbean Economic Commission (ECLAC) forecasts that Ecuador’s GDP will grow 0.8% in 2024, making it one the poorest performing economies in the region. Only Haiti (-4%), Argentina (-3.2%) and Cuba (-1%) showed lower rates. ECLAC predicts Ecuador will experience a modest recovery in 2025, with GDP growing 1.5%.

For the entire region, from Mexico to Chile, ECLAC expects overall growth of 2.2% in 2024 and 2.4% in 2025.

In its annual growth forecast, the ECLAC report points out that “the economies of Latin America will continue this year and next mired in a trap of low growth due to reduced industrial and agricultural production.” It says conditions are aggravated by environmental issues such as drought, organized criminal activity, reduced consumption and low rates of investment.

Too much juice overloads power stations
Power outages in some areas of the country on Monday night were due to an “overload” of electricity, the Energy Ministry says. Some customers in Guayaquil, Quito, Portoviejo, Riobamba, Daule and Santa Elena reported unscheduled power outages of 30 to 45 minutes.

“These unexpected disruptions were the result of too much electricity entering local electrical stations and a failure of the breaker system to regulate the flow,” the ministry reported. The ministry said the problem has been corrected.

The ministry also reported Tuesday that it is reducing the amount of electricity it is purchasing from Colombia, saying hydroelectric production in Ecuador has increased.