Ecuador's Narco Violence Threatens Scientists and Conservation Efforts
Biologist Cesar Garzon's decades-long study of the rare El Oro parakeet in Ecuador is threatened by escalating narco violence. In Camilo Ponce Enriquez, threats from drug gangs forced Garzon to abandon his research. The surge in violence hampers conservation efforts and limits scientific research, affecting endemic species and local communities.
In Ecuador, biologist Cesar Garzon has dedicated two decades to studying the rare El Oro parakeet, an endangered bird endemic to the country's southwestern provinces of Azuay and El Oro.
Garzon's work in Camilo Ponce Enriquez, Azuay, was interrupted by threats of kidnapping from drug trafficking gangs such as Los Lobos, who finance their activities through illegal mining.
Urged to leave due to safety concerns, Garzon witnessed the escalating violence firsthand, including the murder of the town's mayor and clashes leaving multiple fatalities.
Ecuador, situated between major cocaine producers Colombia and Peru, has seen a surge in homicides, reaching 47 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.
The violence is hampering conservation research and reducing international cooperation funds, impacting endemic and threatened species.
Other scientists, like Mario Yanez and Judith Denkinger, have also faced disruptions, with Denkinger halting her research on humpback whales in the dangerous province of Esmeraldas.
The security crisis affects not only biodiversity research but also the livelihoods of local communities and environmental reserves such as the Lalo Loor reserve in Manabi.
Garzon's work in Camilo Ponce Enriquez, Azuay, was interrupted by threats of kidnapping from drug trafficking gangs such as Los Lobos, who finance their activities through illegal mining.
Urged to leave due to safety concerns, Garzon witnessed the escalating violence firsthand, including the murder of the town's mayor and clashes leaving multiple fatalities.
Ecuador, situated between major cocaine producers Colombia and Peru, has seen a surge in homicides, reaching 47 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.
The violence is hampering conservation research and reducing international cooperation funds, impacting endemic and threatened species.
Other scientists, like Mario Yanez and Judith Denkinger, have also faced disruptions, with Denkinger halting her research on humpback whales in the dangerous province of Esmeraldas.
The security crisis affects not only biodiversity research but also the livelihoods of local communities and environmental reserves such as the Lalo Loor reserve in Manabi.