Published: Jan 24, 2024, 07:11 IST | Updated: Jan 24, 2024, 07:11 IST
The small south American nation of Ecuador was once perceived as a haven of peace sandwiched between cocaine-producing Colombia and Peru. Renowned as world's top exporter of bananas, it is home to the biodiverse Galapagos islands. However, in the past five years, things have taken a turn for the worse. Large ports, lax security and endemic corruption have lured foreign drug cartels to its shore.