[ Human Trafficking, Country-by-Country ]

ECUADOR (Tier 2) – Extracted in part from the U.S. State Dept 2023 TIP Report

The Government of Ecuador does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.  The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period, considering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, if any, on its anti-trafficking capacity; therefore Ecuador remained on Tier 2.  These efforts included increasing the number of suspects investigated for trafficking crimes, increasing the number of police officers working on trafficking crimes, maintaining robust law enforcement cooperation with foreign governments, and continuing the prosecution of three individuals in a high-profile case involving forced labor allegations.  The government also identified more victims, reopened a government-funded shelter, and enacted an anti-trafficking law that strengthened protection and prevention provisions.  However, the government did not meet the minimum standards in several areas.  Authorities did not adequately protect most trafficking victims, and officials prosecuted and convicted fewer traffickers.  In addition, Ecuador did not criminalize all forms of trafficking, as the penal code required officials to prove the use of force, fraud, or coercion in child sex trafficking cases.

Prioritized Recommendations

Fund and implement provisions established in the new anti-trafficking law.

Provide specialized services for all victims of labor and sex trafficking, including adults, boys, and girls younger than 12.

Vigorously investigate, prosecute, and convict traffickers, including public officials complicit in trafficking and labor traffickers.

Fund and increase support for NGOs to provide victim services.

Amend the definition of trafficking in the penal code to remove the requirement of force, fraud, or coercion in child sex trafficking offenses.

Train labor inspectors on indicators of forced labor and conduct proactive and unannounced labor inspections in sectors vulnerable to exploitation, such as banana plantations, floriculture, hemp (abaca), and mining.

Establish systems to protect workers from labor trafficking, including amending legal provisions to prohibit employers from withholding passports or travel documents from workers, collecting worker-paid recruitment fees, and allowing foreign workers to change employers without facing penalties or deportation.

Appoint a specialized prosecutor to focus solely on trafficking crimes.

Increase training and efforts to pursue financial crime investigations in tandem with human trafficking cases.