In Ecuador, they killed the prosecutor and kidnapped the former mayor on the same day

The murdered man was identified by the Public Ministry as Genaro R., a prosecutor from the city of Babahoyo, capital of the state of Los Ríos. victim of a fatal attack It is in the canton (municipality) of Jujan in the neighboring province of Guayas, located on the coast of Ecuador. As reported by the prosecutor’s office through its official channels, it was stated that arrangements have been made so far for the removal of the body and the collection of ballistic evidence and other evidence at the scene. The murder of this prosecutor joins other similar murders that occurred in previous months; for example, prosecutors Leonardo Palacios and Édgar Escobar were shot in Durán and Guayaquil respectively; Chief prosecutor Diana Salazar reported that she received death threats in June.

This was known hours before the murder HE kidnapping By Mariana Mendieta, former mayor of DuránA municipality that is part of the Guayaquil metropolitan area and has become one of the most violent hotspots in the country due to organized crime gangs. Mendieta’s kidnapping had been publicly warned by the current mayor, Luis Chonillo, who survived an attack last May that left two of his bodyguards and one other person dead, prompting him to spend time in hiding and send out telematics. “I stand in solidarity with all the family and friends of Mariana Mendieta, the former mayor of Durán, who was the victim of a vicious kidnapping. We ask the national government to spare no effort and act as quickly as possible to regain her freedom,” Chonillo said. said. The message was published on social networks.

Later, National Police General Commander Fausto Salinas told reporters that they had put protocols in place and a series of raids on properties had been carried out, but without satisfactory results. According to local media reports, the army surrounded the Durán municipal center to protect it. reports. . The violence has also claimed the lives of two Durán officials in recent months.: Miguel Santos, director of Terrenos, who was killed in August; and council member Bolívar Vera were killed in September.

Ecuador has become one of the most violent countries in Latin America, with a rate of premeditated murders rising from 5.8 to 25.32 per 100,000 people over the past five years; It is the highest number since records were recorded and it is stated that this number may reach around 40 in 2023. experts consulted. The main reason for this spiral of violence is organized crimeIt sent large quantities of the drug to Europe via maritime traffic from ports such as Guayaquil and to North America on high-powered boats, making Ecuador one of the nerve centers of the global cocaine trade.

The maelstrom of death reached unexpected proportions with the murder of Manta mayor Agustín Intriago and presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio a few days before the first round of extraordinary elections.