Ecuador has experienced one of the most dramatic surges in criminal violence in Latin America, alongside growing pressure on democratic institutions. In this episode of the Review of Democracy podcast—produced in cooperation with the Journal of Democracy—Gabriel Pereira speaks with Galo Mayorga and Kai M. Thaler about how state weakness, militarized security policies, and public fear are reshaping Ecuador’s democracy.
The conversation explores the roots of Ecuador’s crisis, President Daniel Noboa’s hardline response to crime, the risks of democratic erosion, and what Ecuador’s experience reveals about the broader regional struggle to confront organized crime without sacrificing democratic guardrails.
The podcast is based on their article, “Crime, Crackdowns, and Democracy in Ecuador,” published in the January 2026 (37/1) issue of the Journal of Democracy.
The conversation was conducted by Gabriel Pereira. Alina Young edited the audio file.
