On September 9, 2025, reporting on U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Ecuador highlighted the country’s struggle with rising crime, stagnant economic growth, and persistent emigration. President Daniel Noboa, who began his first full term in May, has promised to restore security and improve economic opportunities. However, fueled by organized crime and drug trade networks, Ecuador’s homicide rate now matches that of the region’s most violent countries. The economy has also underperformed, averaging just 1.5% growth over the past decade.
A central theme of the report is the overlooked role of nearly 500,000 Venezuelan migrants living in Ecuador, who make up around 3% of the population. Public opinion often associates these migrants with crime and job loss, but research shows they are less likely to commit crimes and are often victims of gangs. Moreover, Venezuelan migrants are mostly young and educated, representing a demographic Ecuador desperately needs as its workforce shrinks. The report argues that expanding migrant regularization programs could boost job creation, strengthen public security, and add to GDP growth, while countering misperceptions through evidence-based policy and public communication.
The Ecuadorian government could restart and expand the Venezuelan migrant regularization program, making sure the newcomers have access to formal jobs and employment under law. This will help stabilize the Ecuadorian workforce. U.S. Secretary Rubio may ask for aid or international coordination to ease the costs of integration, which would cause long-term benefits like reduced violence, stronger economy, and a more resilient population. All of those things are in Ecuador’s national interests. Even though they all seem positive, I don’t think that any advances will be made on this problem for a while because there are other higher risk issues in the surrounding countries, and it’s not considered a crisis. Policymakers will continue to prioritize more immediate concerns of security in neighboring states.