Political gridlock fuels deadly gang violence in Ecuador.

Organized crime gangs in Ecuador are causing a wave of violence, with drug-related killings surging in the Pacific-facing Guayas and Esmeraldas regions. The gangs are being managed by the Mexican Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels and are vying for territorial control of lucrative cocaine smuggling routes. The political system is paralyzed by infighting, with President Guillermo Lasso battling repeated attempts to remove him from office by the majority political opposition in congress. The violence is worsening due to the weakness of the state and the government.