Ecuador Issues - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Disputes - international

organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia penetrate across Ecuador's shared border

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 429,685 (Venezuela) (economic and political crisis; includes Venezuelans who have claimed asylum, are recognized as refugees, or have received alternative legal stay), 65,854 (Colombia) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2021)

Illicit drugs

significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru, with much of the US-bound cocaine passing through Ecuadorian Pacific waters; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; attractive location for cash-placement by drug traffickers laundering money because of dollarization and weak anti-money-laundering regime; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents

NOTE: The information regarding Ecuador on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Ecuador 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Ecuador 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.