Ecuador 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Guayaquil

This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Consulate General in Guayaquil, Ecuador. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in the provinces of Azuay, Cañar, El Oro, Galápagos, Guayas, Loja, Los Ríos, Manabí, Santa Elena and Zamora Chinchipe. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Ecuador country page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password.

Travel Advisory

The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Ecuador at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased precautions due to crime and civil unrest. Do not travel to Esmeraldas, Carchi, and Sucumbíos provinces (none of which are part of the Guayaquil consular district) due to crime. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System.

Overall Crime and Safety Situation

The U.S. Department of State has assessed Guayaquil as being a CRITICAL-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests.

Crime Threats

Crime continues to present a severe problem. The number of home invasions and armed robberies decreased in 2018, but homicides, armed robberies, and car thefts increased in 2019. Very low rates of apprehension and conviction of criminals – due to limited police and judicial resources – contribute to Ecuador’s high crime rate. While non-violent theft is the most common problem that U.S. citizens encounter in Guayaquil (and throughout Ecuador in general), violent crimes committed against U.S. Citizens have increased. Travel in groups at all times.

Pickpocketing, purse-snatching, robbery, bag-slashing, and hotel room theft are the most common types of non-violent crimes committed against U.S. citizens. Pickpockets and other petty thieves are particularly active in tourist areas, airports, restaurants, bus terminals, public markets, and grocery stores, and on public transportation and crowded streets. Criminals frequently target backpackers and travelers carrying laptop bags for robbery. Thieves often distract their victims, sometimes by purposefully spilling liquid on a victim and pretending to help clean it up (condiment scam), while accomplices snatch the victim’s bag or pick the victim’s pocket. To lower risk from these or other non-violent crimes, leave valuables in a safe place or do not travel with them. Never carry more than you are willing to lose, and never carry anything you consider priceless or irreplaceable. Make use of hotel safes when available, avoid wearing obviously expensive jewelry or designer clothing, and carry only the necessary cash or credit cards on each outing. Stay alert to pickpockets when in crowds and when taking public transportation and be conscious of distractions created to target tourists. Maintain a low profile and do not advertise that you are a foreigner. Theft from vehicles parked or stopped in traffic have also increased. Review OSAC’s reports, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security.

1 U.S. citizens have been victims of crimes, including homicides, armed assaults, robberies, sexual assaults, and home invasions. Armed or violent robberies occur throughout Ecuador. Many travelers are victims of robbery after using ATMs or when exiting banks. Avoid withdrawing large amounts of cash at one time from banks and ATMs, and use ATMs in protected indoor areas, like well-guarded shopping malls. In some cases, robbers have used motorcycles to approach their victims and flee the scene. Robbers have also victimized tourists at gunpoint on beaches and along hiking trails.

Increasing numbers of U.S. citizens have fallen victim to fraud related to their credit/debit cards. “Skimming” is most likely to occur in restaurants, bars, and, at times, hotels, where the skimmer takes the victim's card out of the owner’s view. Take your credit/debit card to the register, and never let the card out of your sight. Pay for items in cash whenever possible, and only use credit cards at larger establishments, such as hotels. Frequently monitor bank accounts and credit card statements. Review OSAC’s report, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit.

If you fall victim to express kidnapping and/or robbery, cooperation usually results in the best outcome; nothing material is as valuable as your life.

Incidents of sexual assault and rape have increased, including in well-traveled tourist areas. Criminals generally target women who are alone, often using alcohol or incapacitating drugs to rob and/or sexually assault unsuspecting tourists. These so-called date-rape drugs, most often rohypnol and scopolamine, disorient the victim and can cause prolonged unconsciousness and serious medical problems. To lower risk of sexual assault, travel in groups, do not leave food/drink unattended in public places, and never accept a drink from a stranger.

Very few U.S. citizens have been victims of murder in Ecuador (four from 2012-2016 and two each in 2017, 2018, and 2019). The Ecuadorian government has an emergency hotline, 1-800-DELITO (1-800-335486), to inform police about murders or contract killings.

Exercise extreme caution in downtown Guayaquil and the southern part of the city. Tourist sites – the Christ statue (Sagrado Corazon de Jesus) on Cerro del Carmen, the Malecon 2000, and Las Peñas – though patrolled by police, are targeted by criminals hoping to prey on unsuspecting tourists. There have also been reports of armed robberies at restaurants in the Urdesa and Samborondon areas. Review OSAC’s report, All That You Should Leave Behind.

U.S. government personnel may travel to the northern bank of the Napo River in Sucumbíos, where tourist lodges are located, in an area approximately four miles wide. The U.S. Government prohibits all other personnel travel to the northern border area, including to the provinces of Sucumbíos, Carchi, and Esmeraldas, without prior permission.

Cybersecurity Issues

Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband?

2 Transportation-Safety Situation

Road Safety and Road Conditions

Although some of Ecuador’s roads and highways have improved in recent years, road travel can be dangerous, especially at night. Some roads are in poor condition or affected by heavy rains and mudslides. Mountain roads may lack safety features (e.g. crash barriers, guardrails). Heavy fog frequently makes conditions more treacherous. Highways often lack markings, lighting, and signage. In addition, slow- moving buses and trucks frequently stop in the middle of the road unexpectedly. In the countryside, livestock moves along roads or grazes on roadsides. Pedestrians frequently use roads, as sidewalks are often missing. Road travel after dark is especially hazardous in all areas of the country.

Driving practices differ from U.S. standards. Drivers often disobey traffic laws and signals. Buses stop without warning to pick up/drop off passengers. Drivers often turn from any lane, and rarely yield to pedestrians/cyclists. You could encounter intoxicated drivers; chances of a drunk-driving accident are higher on weekends and local holidays. On the coast in particular, many vehicles are in poorly condition, and breakdowns are common.

Police may take any driver involved in an accident where injuries are involved or the driver does not have insurance into custody, even the driver is not at fault. If injuries or damages are serious, the driver may face criminal charges.

To avoid carjacking or theft from a vehicle stopped at an intersection, always keep doors locked and windows rolled up. “Smash and grabs” occur when thieves break into parked vehicles, but have also occurred in slow-moving or stopped traffic, particularly targeting women driving alone.

Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad.

Public Transportation Conditions

In Guayaquil, security on public transportation is a major concern. U.S. government employees may not hail taxis from the street, an action that raises your susceptibility to the threat of secuestro express (express kidnapping). Secuestro express presents a significant safety concern, especially in Guayaquil (but also in Manta and with increasing regularity in Quito). Shortly after the passenger enters a taxi, armed accomplices of the driver typically intercepted the vehicle, threaten passengers with weapons, rob passengers of their personal belongings, and force victims to withdraw money from ATMs. Increasingly, assailants have beaten or sexually assaulted victims during these incidents. Call known taxi services by phone, or use a service affiliated with major hotels. Commercially registered taxis are yellow, display matching unit numbers on their windshields and doors, feature a taxi cooperative name on the door, and have orange license plates. Express kidnappers have victimized passengers even in taxis that meet these criteria.

Criminals often target intra- and inter-city bus passengers for robbery and sexual assault. Numerous bus accidents occur every year in Ecuador. Many buses are overcrowded, in poor condition, and lack seatbelts and other safety features. Armed criminals have boarded local city buses and robbed passengers of valuables. There have been instances in which criminals block routes between cities, forcing a bus to stop and then boarding to rob passengers. Thieves often steal luggage stowed below the bus, in overhead racks, or at a traveler’s feet.

3 Review OSAC’s report, Security In Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights.

Aviation/Airport Conditions

Aviation is generally the safest mode of travel within Ecuador. However, armed robbers have targeted arriving passengers by following them from the airports in Quito and Guayaquil. Examples include multiple vehicles that cut off and intercept a victim, as well as a single motorcycle rider who robs a victim getting out of a car. The perpetrators appear to focus on travelers returning from overseas trips laden with gifts and possibly large amounts of cash.

Terrorism Threat

The U.S. Department of State has assessed Guayaquil as being a MEDIUM-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Terrorism in Ecuador is a rare occurrence. Attacks in Ecuador have traditionally involved small domestic organizations as well as Colombian dissident groups (FARC and ELN) operating within Ecuador's borders.

A car bomb caused damage to a local police command center in January 2018 in the city of San Lorenzo, Esmeraldas province, near the Colombian border. There were no fatalities, and several injuries. As a result, the President of Ecuador, Lenin Moreno, declared a limited State of Emergency in the cities of San Lorenzo and Eloy Alfaro to enhance police and military authority.

Political, Economic, Religious, and Ethnic Violence

The U.S. Department of State has assessed Guayaquil as being a MEDIUM-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Student, labor union, and indigenous protests against government policies are a regular feature of political life. While disruptive, especially to transportation, violence is usually limited and localized. Protestors often block city streets and rural highways, and tend to disrupt public transportation. Protestors occasionally burn tires, throw Molotov cocktails, engage in destruction of property, and detonate small improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during demonstrations. Fatalities because of protests are rare.

In October 2019, there was widespread civil unrest and violent protests after the government announced the termination of a fuel subsidy.

Since 2011, protesters have used pamphlet bombs to disseminate political literature; the most recent case occurred in 2015, targeting a corporate media office. All occurred without serious injury to person or property (although one had the potential to be lethal), and none were aimed at U.S. private-sector interests.

Popular protests have contributed to the removal of three elected presidents before the end of their terms.

Some communities have used protests and strikes to obtain promises of increased government spending on social benefits and infrastructure. Some indigenous communities opposed to development have protested to block access by petroleum and mining companies. The government has increasingly filed legal charges or opened investigations against protestors who block roads or impede public services. The government charges demonstrators with “terrorism and sabotage,” or similar charges that effectively criminalize protest, for obstructing roads and public services.

4 Political violence in Colombia has a spillover effect in northern Ecuador. Security on the northern border with Colombia, the location of most of Ecuador's oil deposits, is particularly tenuous. The area is a transshipment point for precursor chemicals used in illegal drug production and for arms/supplies for Colombian insurgent groups and narco-traffickers. Businesses in the area report being victims of extortion. The Ecuadorian military and government agencies are increasing efforts to promote development and provide security in this area.

Review OSAC’s report, Surviving a Protest.

Post-specific Concerns

Environmental Hazards

Ecuador has many active and potentially active volcanoes (around Quito and other tourist destinations). Other potential environmental threats include flooding, the effects of El Niño, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

In 2016, Ecuador experienced a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which killed hundreds and injured/displaced thousands. The region also experienced multiple aftershocks, many 6.0+ in magnitude. In the event of a natural disaster, transportation, water, communications, and power systems may fail due to damaged infrastructure or heavy ash fall. Roads may close, and flights cancellations may occur due to adverse conditions.

Earthquakes sometimes trigger tsunamis, which could strike coastal areas or the Galápagos Islands. Authorities put out warnings of potential tsunamis, but local response is uneven; on one occasion, there was no coordinated evacuation when a tsunami struck the Galápagos Islands.

Considering these environmental conditions, maintain an emergency supply of food and water, and establish an emergency plan with family members or fellow travelers.

According to the Ecuadorian Military Geographic Institute, greater seismic activity near the Sierra Negra volcano indicates that an eruption may occur in the near future. Avoid the Sierra Negra crater until further notice, specifically the popular tourist walking path known as Volcán Chico.

Critical Infrastructure

The government acknowledges that the number of on-the-job injuries is seriously underreported. According to the Social Security Institute, the Ministry of Labor Relations, and the Ministry of Health, employees report approximately 15,000 on-the-job injuries each year; the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates the true number at approximately 160,000. Violations were reportedly common in the banana, palm oil, flower, and gold-mining industries, particularly involving exposure to toxic chemicals.

In the event of a natural disaster, transportation, water, communications, and power systems may fail due to damaged infrastructure or heavy ash fall. Roads may close, and flight delays or cancellations may occur.

5 Personal Identity Concerns

The Ecuadorian government is broadly tolerant of religious practices. Ecuador was one of the first countries in the world to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation. Same-sex marriage is legal. LGBTI+ individuals may still face discrimination. Review the State Department’s webpage on security for LGBTI+ travelers.

Travelers with disabilities might have difficulty accessing buildings. Sidewalks in some areas are narrow and poorly maintained. Review the State Department’s webpage on security for travelers with disabilities.

Indigenous community rights are formally protected in Ecuador, and some areas have limited sovereignty.

Drug-related Crimes

The threat of violence associated with narco-trafficking is real. The high volume of drugs flowing through Ecuador has contributed to the rise of all types of crime. Homicide rates have increased over the last decade, with a direct correlation to the increased flow of drugs over this same period.

Traditional hallucinogens, often referred to as ayahuasca or San Pedro, are often marketed to tourists as “spiritual cleansing” and typically contain dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a strong hallucinogen that is illegal in the United States and many other countries—including Ecuador. Health risks are not well understood, and, on occasion, people suffer serious illness or death after taking these drugs. Intoxicated travelers also have been assaulted and robbed. These incidents often occur a great distance from medical facilities, making the risks even greater.

Kidnapping Threat

Kidnappings have occurred along the northern border with Colombia, with some targeting foreigners. Kidnappings occur more due to economic rather than political motivations. The Sucumbíos region has a high rate of kidnappings for ransom. Kidnappers do not specifically target U.S. citizens. Traditional drug trafficking organizations – especially those with a propensity for violence, such as the Mexican Sinaloa and Gulf Cartels – operate in Ecuador. At least 17 U.S. citizens have been victims of kidnapping in this region in the past 13 years, four of whom were kidnapped in 2019. Review OSAC’s report, Kidnapping: The Basics.

Police Response

Police coverage is sparse outside major urban areas. Ecuador’s conviction rate for major crimes is less than 1%. The threshold for petty crime is US$600; police do little for victims whose loss is less. Response times vary, but police response to emergencies can commonly take at least 45-60 minutes. Even after a victim files criminal complaint (denuncia), police do little to recover belongings or investigate.

If police arrest or detain you in Ecuador, under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and customary international law, you have the option to request that the police, prison officials, or other authorities alert the nearest U.S. Embassy/Consulate. Outside of Quito and Guayaquil, awareness of international protocols is uneven. If police arrest or detain you, request that the authorities do this on your behalf. If you feel you are a victim of police corruption, bribery, or harassment, contact American Citizen Services at the U.S. Consulate General.

6 Dial 911 to reach ECU-911 for all emergencies. Operators typically speak Spanish. English speakers are sometimes available to handle emergency calls from other English speakers. If you or someone you know becomes the victim of a crime, immediately contact the local police to file a crime report (denuncia) and inform the U.S. Consulate General at (04) 371-7000. Investigation and prosecution of perpetrators is the responsibility of the Ecuadorian government; it does not proceed with the speed and thoroughness to which we are accustomed in the U.S. Although the U.S. Consulate monitors and encourages investigations, the ability to intervene is extremely limited. Download the State Department’s Crime Victims Assistance brochure.

Medical Emergencies

Dial 911 for all emergencies. Basic medical services are available in Quito, Guayaquil, and many small towns and villages. Treatment for serious medical issues is often unavailable or limited to facilities in Quito and Guayaquil. Emergency ambulance services, as well as certain types of medical equipment, medications, and treatments, are not widely available. Ambulance services in Ecuador are poor and do not meet U.S. standards. Private ambulance services seldom respond within an appropriate amount of time. Physicians and hospital personnel frequently do not speak English, and medical reports are in Spanish. Patients must have good Spanish language skills to use local medical resources.

In Guayaquil, many expatriates use Clínica Kennedy and Hospital Alcívar. These facilities are modern and often technologically advanced, but may not meet all U.S. standards. Find contact information for available medical services and available air ambulance services on the U.S. Consulate website.

In an emergency, drive or ask somebody to take you to the nearest hospital. This will usually be a public hospital, unless the patient or someone acting on their behalf indicates that they can pay for a private hospital. Most payments for medical services require cash at the time of service or prior to treatment, although the few private hospitals will accept major credit cards. Hospitals do not accept U.S. health insurance plans. Consult with your medical insurance company prior to travel to confirm whether your policy applies overseas, and whether it will cover emergency expenses (including medical evacuation). The U.S. Department of State strongly recommends purchasing international health insurance before traveling internationally. Review the State Department’s webpage on insurance overseas.

Travelers taking prescription medications should bring an adequate supply with them when coming to Ecuador. Review OSAC’s report, Traveling with Medication.

Country-specific Vaccination and Health Guidance

The following diseases are present: Chagas disease; Chikungunya; Dengue; Leishmaniaisis; Malaria; Tuberculosis; Yellow fever; and Zika. Ensure all routine vaccinations are up to date. A yellow fever vaccination is only required if a traveler has recently visited a country where yellow fever is endemic. The CDC offers additional information on vaccines and health guidance for Ecuador.

Review OSAC’s reports, The Healthy Way, I’m Drinking What in My Water?, Shaken: The Don’ts of Alcohol Abroad, Health 101: How to Prepare for Travel, and Fire Safety Abroad

7 OSAC Country Council

OSAC re-established an active Guayaquil Country Council in 2018, and encourages all U.S. private sector organizations and affiliates operating in the area to participate. Parties interested in joining the Country Council should contact OSAC’s Latin America team, or the Regional Security Office at +593-4-371-7034 with any questions.

U.S. Consulate Contact Information

Calle Santa Ana y Av. José Rodriguez Bonin, EC090603 – Guayaquil, Guayas Switchboard: +593-4-371-7000 (staffed during business hours) After-Hours: +593-4-371-7000 (information message) Regional Security Officer: +593-4-371-7034 Consular Affairs and American Citizens Services: +593-4-371-7000 https://ec.usembassy.gov/embassy-consulate/guayaquil/

Helpful Information

Before you travel, consider the following resources:

• OSAC Risk Matrix • OSAC Travelers Toolkit • State Department Traveler’s Checklist • Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) • Ecuador Country Information Sheet

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