Ecuador has been experiencing gang-related crimes, violence and massacres in last five years. As it continues to escalates, another grim episode occurred in the western Samborondón municipality of Guayas province on Sunday.
A latest massacre, part of a larger trend of escalating violence, has claimed the lives of seven people. Some of the victims suffered as many as 40 bullet wounds, as per police reports. Local media indicated that dozens of people were injured in the attack. As per reports, the motives behind the killings have not been confirmed.
The Epicenter of Ecuador’s Violence
Samborondón, which is close to the Pacific coast, has developed into a drug-related violence hotspot. The port city of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s primary entry point for drugs bound for Europe and the US, is located in the Guayas province. Because of its strategic significance, the area has become a hotbed of gang warfare. International cartel-affiliated gangs compete for control of profitable drug trafficking routes.
From Peaceful Nation to Crime Hotspot
For a country of 17 million people, Ecuador’s rapid transformation from a peaceful region to one of the region’s most violent nations has shocked its population.
As per UN’s human rights reports, “Ecuador’s homicide rate surged from 13.7 per 100,000 people in 2021 to 25.9 in 2022. In 2023, it escalated further to about 45, placing Ecuador among the top three most violent Latin American countries, alongside Venezuela and Honduras.”
An Election Marked by Violence
In October 2023, the country held its presidential elections. All election campaigns were heavily influenced by the country’s security crisis. Several incidents of violence and riots erupted. Businessman and former legislator Daniel Noboa of the Acción Democrática Nacional party won the runoff election.
Noboa, who officially took office in November 2023, promised to prioritize security as Ecuador’s top concern. In April 2024, Ecuadorians overwhelmingly supported a referendum that introduced tough new security measures aimed at combating gang violence.
Episodes of Violence
In April 2024, five young men, aged under 21, were gunned down in the fishing community of Puerto López. Just a day later, 10 men were killed in Guayaquil while playing volleyball. 80 deaths were recorded in just three days.
In January 2023, the country was rocked by a wave of violence that saw a top gang leader escape from prison. Also riots were erupting in several jails, and armed gang members were holding TV station staff hostage while live on air. The violence reached new heights when Fernando Villavicencio, a journalist and former presidential candidate, was assassinated during the election campaign.
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