A new FRONTLINE documentary, "Drug War in Ecuador," examines Ecuador’s rapid descent from one of South America’s most peaceful nations into a country gripped by violent conflict driven by the international drug trade.
Long regarded as a “paradise” of stability, Ecuador’s location between Colombia and Peru has made it a key transit route for cartels and led to the rise of hyper-violent criminal groups.
The documentary reports an unprecedented surge in brutality as rival gangs fight for control. Their tactics, often filmed and circulated online, include torture, dismemberment, and public executions aimed at terrorizing communities.
The coastal province of Esmeraldas is described as one of the most violent places in the world, where residents say human life has become “worth less than a bullet.”
In response, President Daniel Noboa has declared an “internal armed conflict” and deployed the military under a state of exception granting broad policing powers. His government argues that aggressive tactics — including warrantless home searches — are necessary to confront criminal organizations that threaten national stability. Many Ecuadorians credit the crackdown with improving security in some areas.
But the documentary also documents serious allegations of human rights abuses by security forces. Families recount soldiers entering homes with gas, beating civilians, and detaining young men who later disappeared.
Experts interviewed in the film say the roots of the crisis lie in decades of deep inequality, poverty, and government neglect in Afro-Ecuadorian and coastal communities. With few economic opportunities, generations of young people have been drawn into criminal groups as a means of survival.
Guest:
Marcel Mettelsiefen is the producer and director of FRONTLINE’s “Drug War in Ecuador.” He is a multi award-winning director, camera operator, photographer and producer.
Watch the documentary at pbs.org/frontline and in the PBS App and on FRONTLINE’s YouTube channel. It is also be available on the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.
This episode will be recorded on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, at 12:30 p.m.
