29/05/2026
Ecuador and Peru are working with the support of the European Union to strengthen their institutions in the fight against trafficking and money laundering.
From left to right: Cristina Lera, Director of SERPAZ; Bernabé Aguilar Arigo, Spanish Consul in Ecuador; Alfredo Díaz, Coordinator of SEACOP; Leopoldo Gil Cantero, Senior Intelligence Expert; Galo Nina, European Union Cooperation Attaché in Ecuador; Rosa Vazquéz, Undersecretary for International Cooperation at the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Josué Erazo, Deputy Director of SERPAZ – Carga Segura; Francisco Álvarez, Strategic Adviser at EUFORT-EC.
Money laundering and illicit drug trafficking constitute transnational threats that undermine security, economic stability and the rule of law in the Andean region. Ecuador and Peru, due to their geographical location and trade dynamics, face common challenges relating to drug trafficking routes, criminal economies, associated corruption and the use of financial and non-financial systems for money laundering.
Although both countries have made progress in the prevention, detection and investigation of these crimes, the transnational nature of these activities requires binational coordination, information sharing, harmonisation of approaches and the strengthening of joint capabilities.
In this context, the European Union’s SERPAZ project and the initiative to combat drugs and organised crime in Peru have organised a binational seminar entitled ‘Cross-border Challenges in Combating Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering: Ecuador–Peru’.
The seminar aimed to strengthen binational cooperation between Ecuador and Peru in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of money laundering linked to illicit drug trafficking, through the exchange of experiences, best practices and common challenges.
During the meeting, the European Union’s Cooperation Attaché in Ecuador, Galo Nina, stated: “For the European Union, security cooperation is not built on isolated efforts, but on joint responses. This seminar reflects Team Europe’s commitment to supporting Ecuador and Peru in strengthening their institutional capacities.”
For her part, the Undersecretary for International Cooperation at the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rosa Vázquez, highlighted the importance of such forums, which help to consolidate a bilateral cooperation agenda based on trust, technical dialogue and institutional co-responsibility.
In the same vein, SERPAZ project director Cristina Lera emphasised the strategic approach of the Europe team: “Money laundering linked to drug trafficking requires a comprehensive response: tracing the financial trail, understanding new criminal patterns, and strengthening coordination between those who investigate, analyse, prosecute and cooperate. At SERPAZ, together with SEACOP and the European Union Law Enforcement Support Project in Peru, we are promoting a coordinated response to common challenges.”
Over the course of three days, the delegations from Ecuador and Peru exchanged operational experiences, analysed emerging risks and shared best practices to improve financial investigations, the prosecution of cases and international cooperation.
This seminar has enabled the delegations from Ecuador and Peru to strengthen their institutional networks and identify best practices for improving financial investigations, the prosecution of cases and international cooperation.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to draw up technical guidelines to ensure the continuity of joint work, based on shared priorities and potential areas of collaboration between the participating institutions. Through the Team Europe approach, the European Union reaffirms its commitment to supporting Ecuador and Peru in developing more coordinated, sustainable and effective responses to the common challenges of security, justice and regional cooperation.
