Seven People Murdered in a Coastal Province of Ecuador

Seven people were killed this weekend in the coastal province of Manabi, one of the most violent in recent years in Ecuador, a country where the head of state, Daniel Noboa, declared the "internal armed conflict" against 22 criminal gangs.

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Local media indicated that the murders occurred since Saturday in the cities of Manta, Montecristi and Jaramijó, but the motivations are still unknown.

Ecuadorian media outlet "Primicias" says that the killing of two of the seven dead happened while celebrating a mass in honor of a fisherman, who was murdered in El Salvador, during an operation against drug trafficking and that for the double crime, the Police managed to capture four suspects, who would be the alleged hitmen.

Other media outlets note that the other five crimes occurred between the afternoon and Saturday night.

According to Primicias, among the victims is Antonio Macías, uncle of the capo José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias 'Fito', leader of the gang Los Choneros, who is on the run.

With these cases, the Manta district already exceeds 150 violent deaths so far in 2024, the portal said, recalling that Manabi is currently under a state of emergency.

On May 1st, the Ecuadorian president Daniel Noboa decreed a new 60-day "Emergency State" focused on El Oro, Guayas, Los Rios, Manabi, and Santa Elena. In these five coastal provinces, violent actions such as murders, kidnappings, and extortions attributed to drug-trafficking gangs persist.