Italian ambassador on crime in Ecuador: "The mafia business here is enormous"

The Italian ambassador to Ecuador, Giovanni Davoli,  isn’t holding back when it comes to discussing the country’s crime problem. He links Ecuador’s growing insecurity to powerful organized crime groups.

Just two days after saying that the murder of an Ecuadorian Air Force lieutenant colonel was mafia-related, Davoli doubled down in a televised interview on February 19, 2025. Speaking on Teleamazonas, he made it clear: "The mafia business in this country is enormous."

He also pointed to an ongoing Italian-led initiative that’s training Ecuadorian justice officials and prosecutors on how to combat money laundering. "We know from experience that the way to hurt the mafia is to attack them where it hurts the most: their money," Davoli said.

Key takeaways from the ambassador’s remarks

"The mafia business here is enormous — equal to about 30% of the country’s GDP. Imagine the amount of money they need to launder."

"In southern Italy, we faced similar violence and clashes between the mafia and the state."

"Italy saw a turning point in the 1980s and 1990s when people started standing up to the mafia."

"Kids need to learn in school what the mafia is and why they should steer clear of it — it’s a huge threat to society."

"Police and prosecutors must be properly trained to understand how these criminal networks operate."

"There’s an Ecuadorian mafia and local groups working with regional and European crime syndicates."

"Most of the cocaine leaving Ecuador ends up in Europe — so who controls it once it gets there?"

Davoli’s comments come just after Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa revealed that drug trafficking is a $30 billion industry in the country.

Source: Primicias.