Unidad de Análisis Financiero y Económico (UAFE)
Ecuador's financial intelligence unit. It receives, analyses, and disseminates suspicious transaction reports to law enforcement and competent authorities.
Americas · Country coverage
AML/CTF Compliance in Ecuador
Ecuador regulates AML/CTF through the Unidad de Análisis Financiero y Económico under its Anti-Money Laundering Law. See the obligations and how MemberCheck supports them.
Last updated
Screening coverage for Ecuador
- Sanctions & PEP screening
- Adverse media checks
- Customer identity verification
- Jurisdiction risk checks
- Ongoing monitoring
Key facts
AML supervisor / FIUSector superintendencies (supervisors); Unidad de Análisis Financiero y Económico (FIU)
FATF statusGAFILAT member
Primary legislationLey Orgánica de Prevención, Detección y Erradicación del Delito de Lavado de Activos y del Financiamiento de Delitos (2016)
Overview
AML/CTF compliance in Ecuador.
Ecuador regulates money laundering and terrorist financing through its 2016 Anti-Money Laundering Law, supported by the Unidad de Análisis Financiero y Económico, which receives and analyses suspicious transaction reports.
Regulated entities must apply customer due diligence, identify beneficial owners, monitor relationships, and report suspicious activity to the UAFE, under supervision from the superintendency for their sector. Supervisors expect a designated compliance officer, sound internal controls, and staff training.
MemberCheck helps teams meet these obligations by screening customers and entities against global sanctions, PEP, and adverse-media data, verifying identities, and monitoring risk continuously, with a clear audit trail behind every decision.
Regulation
All solutions →Key laws and regulators.
Anti-Money Laundering Law (2016)
Ecuador's principal AML statute, setting customer due diligence, recordkeeping, and reporting obligations for financial institutions and other obligated entities.
Sector superintendencies
AML/CTF supervision sits with the Superintendencia de Bancos for banks, the Superintendencia de Economía Popular y Solidaria for cooperatives, and the Superintendencia de Compañías, Valores y Seguros for companies, securities firms, and insurers.
GAFILAT membership
Ecuador is a member of GAFILAT, the FATF-style regional body for Latin America, and aligns its regime with the FATF 40 Recommendations through that membership.
Obligations
What regulated businesses must do.
- Apply customer due diligence and identity verification
- Identify beneficial owners of corporate customers
- Report suspicious transactions to the UAFE
- Conduct ongoing monitoring of customer relationships
- Maintain internal controls and a compliance officer
- Maintain records and provide staff training
1,000+
Global watchlists screened
<1s
Average screening response
24h
Watchlist refresh cycle
195
Countries covered
FAQ
Common questions.
Who supervises AML/CTF in Ecuador?
Supervision runs through the sector superintendencies: the Superintendencia de Bancos for banks, the Superintendencia de Economía Popular y Solidaria for cooperatives and the popular and solidarity sector, and the Superintendencia de Compañías, Valores y Seguros for companies, securities firms, and insurers. The Unidad de Análisis Financiero y Económico (UAFE) is the financial intelligence unit, receiving and analysing suspicious transaction reports rather than examining firms.
What is the main AML law in Ecuador?
Ecuador's 2016 Anti-Money Laundering Law sets the customer due diligence, recordkeeping, and reporting obligations for regulated entities.
Is Ecuador a member of FATF?
Ecuador is a member of GAFILAT, the FATF-style regional body for Latin America, and aligns its AML/CTF regime with the FATF 40 Recommendations through that membership.
How does MemberCheck support AML compliance in Ecuador?
MemberCheck screens customers and entities against global sanctions, PEP, and adverse-media data, verifies identities, and monitors risk continuously, with an audit trail behind every decision.
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