Ecuador Faces Escalating Violence with Multiple Fatal Attacks

In a series of violent incidents, armed attackers have killed at least 22 people and injured 18 in Ecuador, highlighting a surge in gang-related violence.

• Armed gangsters mistakenly killed five tourists in Ayampe, thinking they were rival gang members.
• In Guayaquil, two separate attacks by gunmen resulted in the deaths of 17 people and injuries to 18 others.
• President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency in January, deploying military and police forces to combat the violence.
• Ecuador's homicide rate has skyrocketed from six per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018 to 46 per 100,000 in 2023.
• The government is actively pursuing the attackers, with arrests already made in connection to the incidents.

3 Articles

Associated Press ABC News NDTV