Organized Crime Threatens Schools in Ecuador Amid Rising Violence

Ecuador's education system is facing a growing wave of violence, transforming schools from safe havens into sites of terror. Students, parents, and educators are increasingly concerned by threats against teachers and criminal incidents occurring near educational institutions.

The Union of Educators (UNE) reports that ten teachers were murdered between 2025 and 2026, while extortion cases surged from 300 to 1,000. These incidents are concentrated in specific districts. In July 2026, an attempted student kidnapping in Guayaquil led to a week-long class suspension. Shortly after, a shooting near a school in Esmeraldas caused panic, with children seeking shelter under desks.

Juan Carlos Rodríguez, Ecuador's Vice Minister of Educational Management, stated that these events are not direct assaults on the education sector. He believes certain groups are politicizing the situation to suggest the education system is under threat, a claim he refutes. "We want to make it clear as the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture that the argument or criterion that a certain political group and certain union leaders want to manage, saying that education or the educational system is under threat or in a concrete situation, is totally false," he said.

Rodríguez explained that these incidents are orchestrated by organized crime groups aiming to destabilize cities and citizens. He assured that the ministry is working closely with the Ministry of the Interior. According to the ministry's analysis, these events are not widespread, affecting an estimated 2% of the nation's over 16,000 educational institutions. He also noted a reported 80% reduction in similar cases between 2024 and 2025, though 2026 data is still pending.