Authorities in Ecuador reported on Tuesday that eight individuals lost their lives in two separate armed assaults in Guayaquil, the nation’s largest city, as criminal organisations clashed over control of profitable drug trafficking routes.
Police stated that the eight victims succumbed to “gunshot wounds” in distinct incidents occurring in the northern districts of the city.
Following the shootings, an AFP journalist observed roads and sidewalks stained with blood, numerous heavily armed officers scouring the area, and anguished family members searching for their relatives.
An influx of cocaine from Colombia and Peru via Ecuadoran ports has attracted various criminal organisations from countries like Albania, Italy, and Mexico to this once secure Andean nation.
Guayaquil, previously a thriving port city, has become the violence’s focal point.
President Daniel Noboa, who was recently reelected, has pledged to confront the drug cartels directly, though his efforts have seen limited effectiveness.
Official statistics indicate that between January and April, Ecuador experienced 3,084 homicides.
Analysts suggest that this marks the most violent beginning to the year in the nation’s history, averaging one murder per hour.
