Fred Ramos
The New Yorker

Ecuador’s Risky War on Narcos



I went to Ecuador for The New Yorker magazine to photograph a country in crisis. For decades, Ecuador was one of the most peaceful countries in Latin America. Now it has one of the highest homicide rates in the region as it wages a bloody war against gangs and drug traffickers.  Across the country, violent confrontations between criminal gangs and soldiers have become commonplace. Leading politicians and prosecutors are assassinated with impunity. And prisons have become the playgrounds of powerful gang members to plan their next moves. In the middle of this crisis, President Daniel Noboa swept to power in 2023 at the age of 35. The son of one of the country's richest men, he is leading the battle against drug traffickers with controversial, heavy-handed policies. 

The challenge of this assignment was to capture President Noboa in a single image in a scene that reflected the president’s youthfulness and the violence that he is combating. I also wanted to capture with nuance and empathy the daily conflict that Ecuadorians are suffering. This is not a war playing out in the open but a battle for territory and power that has spilled into everyday life. 





© 2024 Fred Ramos. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced without his written consent.
Prev   Next
View All