Abstract:
Over the last three decades, Ecuador has shifted from being one of the most violent coun-
tries in Latin America to being one of the safest countries. Recently, however, it became
a country with high rates of intentional homicides again. This research aims to examine
the impact of social (economic progress and unemployment) and institutional (corrup-
tion and government efficiency) indicators on the rate of intentional homicides in Ecuador
during the 1990–2020 period. We use cointegration techniques with structural breaks and
single-frequency Fourier cumulative causality models. The findings of the Hatemi (ME 35,
497–505) and as reported by Maki (ICJR, 30, 10–29) cointegration model show a long-
term equilibrium relationship between five series. The structural breaks coincide with the
application of public security policies and structural changes in this economy. In addition,
we find a unique Fourier cumulative frequency causal relationship between the analyzed
series. To reduce violent deaths, policy-makers must execute strategies that aim to improve
the population’s quality of life, implement corruption control mechanisms, and promote
government efficiency
