Since 2020, MAG, with funding from the United States, has worked alongside Ecuadorian security forces to help Ecuador independently improve its weapons and ammunition management, destroy obsolete weapons and ammunition, and prevent illicit weapons diversion.
MAG has delivered technical assistance to secure Ecuador’s state-held stockpiles, reduce the risk of illicit diversion to criminal and trafficking networks, and prevent accidental explosions that can threaten civilian populations and regional stability.
In Ecuador, this work has become increasingly essential as rising levels of armed violence and the growing presence of criminal organisations have heightened the importance of strengthening Ecuador’s weapons stockpile security.
While the immediate outputs of this work are tangible – including refurbished armoury infrastructure, destroyed obsolete and excess ammunition, and specialised training – the long-term goal is to improve Ecuador’s operational independence.
The objective is to ensure Ecuador’s security forces can independently maintain and expand these weapons management operations over time.
Over the past six years in Ecuador, MAG has identified three key lessons critical to building progress towards operational independence:
Institutional ownership
Operational independence depends on the political will of national authorities and the commitment of security institutions to prioritise weapons and ammunition management within broader national security agendas. Without national ownership, even well-designed interventions risk becoming temporary achievements.
MAG has supported the refurbishment and improvement of military and police armouries across Ecuador, including the installation of biometric access controls, surveillance systems, alarm systems, and standardised weapon racks. However, long-term operational independence depends on Ecuadorian institutions allocating the budget and personnel needed to operate and maintain these systems after external support concludes.
The same principle applies to destruction operations. MAG has supported the destruction of obsolete and excess weapons, small arms ammunition, and hazardous explosive materials, reducing the risk of accidental explosions and diversion into illicit markets. Sustaining these efforts requires destruction activities to become routine national practices rather than isolated externally funded operations.
Institutionalisation is therefore essential. Sustainable weapons and ammunition management systems require procedures, doctrine, and operational frameworks that embed these practices into the day-to-day functioning of security institutions. Standard operating procedures, national regulations, and internal accountability mechanisms are fundamental to ensuring continuity over time.
Building operational independence
Training personnel is often the first step in building a new operational capability. MAG’s Trainer-of-Trainers approach helps security institutions retain expertise internally and replicate training independently. Integrating weapons and ammunition management courseware into military and police academies has also proven effective in ensuring knowledge is transferred systematically to future generations of personnel.
Embedding operational independence from the outset
Another key lesson is that operational independence should be embedded from the outset of project design. Infrastructure upgrades, operational support, equipment provision, and training activities all need to be planned with long-term national ownership in mind. This includes considering maintenance costs, institutional responsibilities, procurement pathways, and how capacities will continue once external assistance ends.
The Ecuador experience demonstrates that sustainable interventions are built through partnership. Progress over the last six years has been possible because of close coordination between Ecuadorian authorities, MAG, and the United States.
These efforts have contributed not only to stronger weapons and ammunition management practices, but also to broader goals related to regional stability.
Franz Sáenz Kohls, MAG’s Country Director in Ecuador, said: “As security challenges across Latin America continue to evolve, sustainable national capacities will remain essential to reducing armed violence and preventing the illicit proliferation of weapons and ammunition.
“Ensuring these capacities endure beyond the lifespan of external assistance is what transforms short-term interventions into lasting impact."
