Daniel Noboa used his State of the Union speech to defend Ecuador’s aggressive anti-crime strategy and highlight what he described as improvements in the country’s economy and public security.
Addressing lawmakers in Quito, the Ecuadorian president said his government would continue pursuing wanted criminals and extraditing gang leaders involved in organised crime and drug trafficking.
“We will seek them out, find them and extradite them,” Noboa said during the address.
The president pointed to the extradition of several alleged crime bosses to the United States and the seizure of nearly 300 tonnes of drugs as evidence of his administration’s crackdown on criminal networks.
Ecuador has experienced a major rise in violence in recent years as international drug cartels and local gangs compete for control of trafficking routes and coastal ports used to smuggle cocaine.
The country lies between Colombia and Peru, the world’s two largest cocaine-producing nations, making Ecuador a strategic route for drug shipments.
According to official figures, Ecuador recorded one of the highest homicide rates in its modern history last year, with around 50 murders per 100,000 people.
In response to the violence, Noboa’s government implemented a state of exception that expanded military involvement in public security operations. The measures allowed joint patrols between soldiers and police officers, as well as property searches without warrants.
Earlier this year, Ecuadorian and US forces also conducted a joint military operation targeting a camp allegedly linked to Colombian drug traffickers.
Despite the government’s claims of progress, human rights organisations and analysts have criticised the president’s security policies, warning that aggressive tactics could place civilians at risk and fail to address the deeper causes of violence.
Analysts said the country’s security situation remains fragile despite intensified military operations.
Alongside security issues, Noboa also promoted economic improvements during his speech. He told lawmakers that poverty levels in Ecuador had declined during 2025, while extreme poverty rates had also fallen.
Noboa first came to power in 2023 after a snap election triggered by former President Guillermo Lasso dissolving the National Assembly and shortening his own presidential term.
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