Ecuador's government under President Daniel Noboa is struggling to contain surging gang violence and extortion despite adopting a hardline security model inspired by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele, which centred on building maximum-security prisons and deploying the military to the streets. The measures have so far proved insufficient, with murders and extortion rackets continuing to overwhelm authorities and stretch the capacity of the state. The apparent failure raises broader questions about the viability of the Bukele model as a template for other Latin American nations grappling with organised crime.