Análisis de la situación de vulnerabilidad de los ciudadanos en el Ecuador ante la creciente inseguridad en el período 2019-2022

Abstract

Abstract: Citizen insecurity is one of the main concerns of Ecuadorian society, impacting its economic well-being and the degree of vulnerability experienced by different population segments, regardless of their wealth. This problem raises the need to analyze the vulnerability of Ecuadorian citizens in the face of growing insecurity during the 2019-2022 period, applying a mixed-methods research approach supported by correlation analysis. The results processed in Stata show that the greater the increase in the number of intentional homicides, the more vulnerable Ecuadorians are, the more the labor market deteriorates. Working hours and adequate employment are inversely related to this indicator. It also undermines the well-being of society by fueling poverty and inequality, with which it maintains a direct correlation. The rise in intentional homicides is directly correlated with the increased interest in internet searches for terms such as alarms, cameras, and security guards, which reflects the vulnerability and concern of citizens about increasing their security. Among the key findings was that a 1% increase in the Gini coefficient generates a 3.52% increase in the number of homicides, proving that the deepening of inequality is increasing insecurity in Ecuador, thus supporting the theory of aspirational crime.