GUAYAQUIL: At least 10 people were killed in an armed attack overnight in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s main port city and economic hub. The attack occurred at a mechanic shop in the city’s southwest, which is under a state of emergency due to rising drug violence.
Eyewitnesses described the attack as a shooting, with bodies lying on the sidewalk in pools of blood. People were seen crying and hugging one another while police cordoned off the area. Two other people were wounded in the attack.
The attorney general’s office of Ecuador announced on Twitter that it had opened a preliminary investigation into the murder of 10 people following an armed attack on Saturday night.
The local police department also confirmed the death toll in the Guayaquil attack, which has become one of the country’s increasingly bloody centers of a turf war between rival drug-trafficking gangs.
Guayaquil’s strategic position on the Pacific coast makes it a key location for drug trafficking. The surge in violence, including gang- and cartel-related murders and multiple prison riots and massacres, comes as authorities crack down on gangs and seize drugs.
Guayaquil under state of emergency
One eyewitness to the latest attack, who requested anonymity, told AFP that “there was a shooting incident” at a location where several people had been drinking when a group of attackers “on motorcycles came and ended the lives of those who were here.” Police have yet to report any arrests.
Since April 1, Guayaquil has been under a state of emergency, allowing the military to mobilize on the streets and implement curfews. Despite these measures, the violence has continued to escalate in the city and the wider country.
The latest attack underscores the challenges faced by Ecuador’s government in addressing the problem of drug trafficking and violence.
With drug cartels and gangs vying for control of key areas, including Guayaquil, it remains to be seen how the authorities will be able to bring the situation under control.
