Ecuador
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Gallup's latest update on global safety shows people worldwide feel safer today than they did a decade ago, but many countries have a long way to go.
Ahead of Ecuador's security referendum on Sunday, Gallup data show no other region in the world, apart from active war zones, feels less secure than Guayas.
Ecuador now ranks as the least safe country in Latin America, thanks to escalating gang violence, drug trafficking and civil unrest in 2022.
Most Ecuadorian voters heading to the polls this weekend say their lives have been affected by the coronavirus situation, including 39% who say they lost their jobs or businesses during the pandemic.
Gallup's Regional Director for the World Poll in Latin America, Johanna Godoy, discusses the challenges that women in her region face in regard to safety and respect, but also the empowerment she is witnessing.