SERPAZ: Security, Hope, and Resilience for Peace in Ecuador Program

Ecuador is facing an unprecedented internal security crisis due to structural problems exacerbated by drug trafficking, money laundering, and terrorist financing, as well as transnational organized crime groups operating in Ecuadorian territory. Over the past five years, the Andean country has climbed the ranks in terms of total homicides, with a 574.30% increase in the total number since 2019. According to these data, at the end of 2023, the country reported 8,004 violent deaths, which represents 47.25 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. This calculation makes Ecuador the most violent country in Latin America, excluding the Caribbean (OECO, 2023). 

Insecurity related to drug trafficking and organized crime is, to all intents and purposes, detrimental to the development of the Ecuadorian state and a cause of instability due to the permeability and reproducibility of illicit activities.

For this reason, this project, SERPAZ: Security, Hope, and Resilience for Peace in Ecuador, is being carried out with European funding. A project led by FIAP that has four components that will be carried out by France (Expertise France – EF), Italy (International Latin American Organization – IILA), FEDEXPOR & CORPEI, together with the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam and GIZ from Germany.

Project objectives

General Objective

Strengthen Ecuador's resilience to overcome the security crisis associated with drug trafficking and organized crime.

Specific objective

Strengthen the country's capacity to combat money laundering and recover financial assets from organized crime groups.

Specific objective

Support the restructuring of the prison system.

Specific objective

Improve the private sector's capacity to secure the commercial system.

Specific objective

Social cohesion and prevention of youth recruitment.

Contribución del proyecto a los ODS