Drug War in Ecuador (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

An on-the-ground look at how Ecuador, a once-peaceful nation, is now gripped by drug cartels, violence and a military crackdown. With rare access to gang recruits, police, politicians and families caught in the crossfire, this documentary explores efforts to stem the violence and the human toll.

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Once one of Latin America’s most peaceful nations, Ecuador has now become one of its most violent. Foreign cartels have joined with local gangs to control the drug trade, funneling cocaine to the U.S. and Europe, and pushing the homicide rate in the country to record levels. In response, Ecuador’s government declared a state of emergency in 2024, and sent the military onto the streets and into gang-plagued prisons to crack down.

“Drug War in Ecuador” illuminates the stark human toll of it all, drawing on deep access to those involved in the struggle, from the military and police to the gangs to the families caught in the crossfire. The film focuses on the stories of three people: Father Jose Antonio Maeso, a well-known gang violence mediator who also collects evidence of alleged abuses by the police and military; Colonel Javier Buitron, then governor in Esmeraldas, a hotbed of gang violence, who defends the government’s crackdown; and Ronny Medina, a grieving father who’s seeking justice for his 11-year-old son, Steven, one of four boys who were found dead after the military detained them. Ecuador’s military said the soldiers released the boys alive and gang members later killed them.

Raw and profound, the documentary offers a powerful look at the ongoing crisis in the country.

“Drug War in Ecuador” is a Duskwater Films production for GBH/FRONTLINE and ITV in association with The Big Story Films. Filmed and directed by Marcel Mettelsiefen. The producers are Stephen Ellis, Marcel Mettelsiefen, Mayte Carrasco and Ahisha Ghafoor. The associate producer is Esme Ramlal. The senior producer is Eamonn Matthews. The executive producer for ITV is Tom Giles. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.

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FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional support for FRONTLINE is provided by the Abrams Foundation, Park Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund, with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.

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