Del control a la fragmentación criminal: Un análisis criminológico de la escisión del GDO Los Lobos, al surgimiento del GDO Lobos Sao-Box y su impacto en la violencia criminal en la provincia de El Oro y el cantón Camilo Ponce Enríquez.

Abstract

The province of El Oro and the canton of Camilo Ponce Enríquez in the province of Azuay have become, in recent years, a key geographical point for organized crime in Ecuador. Because it is a border province with a seaport, it has become attractive to the illicit economies of Organized Criminal Groups (GDOs). The porous border is exploited for the smuggling of weapons, ammunition, and fuel, while the port's permeability is used for shipping-controlled substances For its part, the canton of Camilo Ponce Enríquez, due to its proximity to the province of El Oro, is an epicenter for disputes among GDOs from the canton of Machala. This is due to the ease with which these groups can engage in illegal mining and extort mining consortia, leading to a reconfiguration of the GDOs' criminal power. This thesis analyzes the phenomenon of the fragmentation of the GDO Los Lobos and the successive rise of the GDO Lobos Sao-Box. This research addresses the question: "How can the increase in criminal violence in the province of El Oro and the canton of Camilo Ponce Enríquez in the province of Azuay be explained, through criminological theories, following the split of the GDO Los Lobos and the subsequent emergence of the Los Lobos Sao-Box faction?" A mixed methodology—both qualitative and quantitative—was used for this research, based on a statistical analysis of the homicide rate in the El Oro sub-zone. Emphasis was also placed on confidential interviews with organized crime experts. The findings revealed that the division of the OCGs was the result of internal disputes and power struggles for control over drug trafficking routes, monopolization of illegal mining extraction, and control of micro-trafficking in the region. This fragmentation triggered a surge in criminal violence at the end of 2023, redesigning the control of criminal territories. The research concludes that the split of the GDO Los Lobos does not imply a reduction in crime in the provinces. Instead, it leads to a proliferation of new criminal leaders and violent disputes among GDOs, which demands new strategies from the state to quell this problem of criminal violence. The development of this thesis contributes a new case study to criminology that delves into the internal dynamics of GDOs, providing information for the creation of new public policies to combat organized crime.