El delito de extorsión y la actividad laboral de las cooperativas de transporte interprovincial del cantón Pelileo

Abstract

The research conducted in this thesis aims to study the incidence of extortion in the work activities of interprovincial transport cooperatives in Pelileo. This is done to analyze its legal, economic, and social effects and, in this way, propose options for its prevention and control. This investigation was carried out using a qualitative methodology through the application of a questionnaire and interviews with key groups directly or indirectly involved in the analysis of the issue. The results obtained paint a worrying picture, showing that this problem has been steadily increasing in recent years and affects the lives of both transport operators and users of the transport service. Given the widespread violence and insecurity in the country, perpetrated mainly by criminal groups, who use extortion as one of their primary means of operation and obtaining the financial resources to fund their criminal activities, this reality has limited interprovincial transport services. Drivers often have to reduce the frequency oftheir service or even stop operating altogether. Other observations include that the most insecure areas are those along routes to various parts of the Ecuadorian coast, and that extortion is widespread among interprovincial transport cooperatives, whose members believe that legal and security mechanisms do not provide sufficient guarantees for their protection and safety to carry out their work normally.