10 Killed in Armed Attack in Ecuador

Ten people were killed early on Sunday in an armed attack in a rural area of Ecuador, which is currently under a state of emergency.

The attack took place in the El Oro province, located in the southwest of the country, which has been grappling with increasing violence linked to organized crime and drug trafficking.

Police chief Pablo Fajardo confirmed the incident, revealing that one of the victims was found dismembered and placed in a suitcase.

The attack marks the latest in a series of violent episodes in Ecuador, which has recently become one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America, driven largely by drug cartel activity. 

Once regarded as a stable haven, Ecuador is now a central hub for international drug trafficking.

According to Fajardo, the victims had rented a rural property, where they were attacked while sleeping just before dawn.

Some of the bodies were found inside the house, while others were discovered along a nearby road, suggesting that the victims were attempting to escape the massacre. No arrests have been made in connection with the attack.

Fajardo also mentioned that some of the victims were foreigners, although their nationalities were not immediately known. El Oro is one of six provinces in Ecuador currently under a state of emergency as the government struggles to curb the rise of gang violence.

In response to escalating violence, President Daniel Noboa implemented emergency measures, including suspending certain civil rights such as the freedom of assembly and granting the police broader powers, including the authority to conduct searches without a warrant.

Ecuador, positioned between Colombia and Peru—two of the world’s largest cocaine producers—recorded a staggering 47 murders per 100,000 people in 2023, a sharp increase from just six per 100,000 in 2018.

The government claims that its crackdown on gangs, which it says are tied to international criminal organizations like Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, has reduced the number of killings this year. However, the latest attack underscores the ongoing struggles to contain the growing violence.