Paper short abstract:

The expansion of global organized crime into Ecuador, with the involvement of narcotics cartels in illegal goldmining, has had negative social and environmental impacts. This paper explores the links among criminal cartels across the Americas and Europe, and the consequences of governance failure.

Paper long abstract:

The rapid expansion of global organised crime networks into Ecuador related to exports of cocaine since 2010 has led to the involvement of narcotics cartels in the extraction and export of other illegally derived commodities such as lumber and gold, and trafficking in protected species of animals. The impact of some of these activities has led to increased levels of violent crime and assassinations in coastal cities, as well as the contamination of clean water sources, and damage to ecosystems, affecting the livelihoods and survival of Indigenous and rural communities.

Effective resistance to criminal economic activity has been hindered by a blurring of the lines between the legal and the illegal, complicity of local officials and judges, and the widespread use of illicit payments to state employees in the procurement of government contracts. Such failures in governance have taken their toll on Ecuador’s political and social fabric, undermining trust in democratic systems and the judiciary. Taking Ecuador as a case study, this paper explores the vulnerabilities of primary-commodity exporting countries, their peoples and their environment, to the power of global demand for precious commodities. The author proposes solutions to protect both people and planet from the dangers of transoceanic trafficking networks underpinned by prevailing global economic structures.