The European Union and Ecuadorian authorities have launched Alerta Anónima (alertaanonima.com), a secure reporting website, alongside a communication strategy to foster a culture of whistleblowing in the port ecosystem and logistics chain, aiming to prevent contamination and enhance security. The initiative, presented on 31 July 2026 in Quito, is part of the EUFORT-EC project, co-financed by the EU and France and implemented by Expertise France, and targets the reduction of illicit drug flows between Ecuador and Europe.
The event brought together representatives from Ecuador's Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Interior, the EU Delegation to Ecuador, the National Police, port security stakeholders, and the EUFORT-EC project team. During the presentation, officials highlighted key challenges to building a safe whistleblowing culture, including fear of reprisals, institutional distrust, and confusion caused by multiple reporting channels. The communication strategy aims to protect informants, simplify the use of available mechanisms, and ensure progressive, segmented, and controlled dissemination in institutional, labor, and operational settings.
Alerta Anónima allows users to report without creating an account or providing personal data, using encrypted transmission, not storing IP addresses, avoiding cookies, and stripping metadata from attachments. Information is managed under confidentiality, anonymity, and need-to-know principles. The platform does not replace emergency channels; for immediate assistance, users are directed to 9-1-1, line 131, or 1800-DELITO. The campaign's unifying message is "A safe port is built by all of us."
The EUFORT-EC project, with a budget of €2.1 million over 18 months, has two main components: establishing and equipping a National Intelligence and Coordination Center (Fusion Center) with specialized units from Ecuadorian security institutions, and strengthening port security in the Guayaquil bay to reduce drug flows to Europe. Alerta Anónima and the communication strategy are complementary instruments under the second component.
The initiative is expected to impact port workers, transporters, logistics operators, warehouse and yard personnel, and security managers, who will be the primary users of the reporting tool and targets of awareness campaigns. For the EU and Ecuadorian authorities, the platform offers a new tool for early warning and information exchange, potentially improving coordination among security institutions. However, the effectiveness of the anonymous reporting system will depend on overcoming the identified barriers of fear and distrust, and on ensuring that the institutions receiving the alerts act on them promptly. The project's success could contribute to reducing illicit drug trafficking, but it also places new responsibilities on port stakeholders to engage with the reporting mechanism responsibly.