Ecuador deporting 800 Colombian inmates as Bogota protests

Colombian prisoners deported from Ecuador at Rumichaca border crossing

In a mass operation at the Rumichaca crossing, the Ecuadorian government sent more than 800 Colombian inmates back to their homeland, an action that sparked a formal protest from Bogotá.

Background of the deportations

• Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced in 2024 the plan to release Colombian prisoners to alleviate overcrowding in the country’s prisons.
• Deportations began in small groups in April, but a large wave started on Friday.
• More than 800 inmates crossed the border, representing about 60 % of all Colombian prisoners held in Ecuador.

Reaction from Colombian authorities

Colombian President Gustavo Petro opposed the unilateral move, insisting that a joint strategy was necessary to protect the inmates’ rights. On Friday, Bogotá lodged a formal complaint accusing Quito of violating international law and acting as an “unfriendly gesture.”

Conditions at the border crossing

At the Rumichaca border crossing in Carchi province, inmates wore orange uniforms while awaiting registration by immigration agents. Some prisoners exercised in shorts and t‑shirts as they waited to cross the chilly Andean air, chanting “We want to cross, we want to cross.”

Logistical challenges

• Authorities in the Colombian border town of Ipiales said they had to scramble to handle the influx because Ecuador had not informed them of the deportations.
• Juan Morales, an official in Ipiales, reported that the incoming prisoners were not known until last week.
• Ecuador’s foreign ministry said that Bogotá had been told about the plan on July 8.
• Amilcar Pantoja, mayor of Ipiales, stated that prisoners without pending legal cases in Colombia would be released.

Violence in Ecuador and the role of drug gangs

Drug trafficking gangs operating in Ecuador, some involving Colombian criminals, have turned the country into one of the most violent in Latin America. The homicide rate has jumped from six per 100,000 people in 2018 to 38 in 2024, among the highest in the region.