At least 22 Dead as Gang Violence Erupts in Ecuador | Drugs News

Rival factions of a drug trafficking gang clash over territory in the port city of Guayaquil ahead of a presidential election.

At least 22 people have been killed in Ecuador’s port city of Guayaquil after rival factions of a drug trafficking gang engaged in a violent shootout, underscoring the deteriorating law and order situation in the country just before a presidential race.

Another three people were injured in the violence, police said in a statement on Friday, as the death toll rose from 19 to 22.

According to authorities, the gunfight broke out on Thursday between opposing factions of a gang called Los Tiguerones, one of the most powerful criminal groups in this once-peaceful nation. The clash was reportedly sparked by a territorial dispute.

Guayaquil’s El Universo newspaper described the incident as a “massacre,” noting that the gangs were fighting for control over their territories.

The newspaper reported that several homes in the Socio Vivienda district of the city were targeted by at least 20 armed gang members, leading to multiple fatalities.

Images and videos posted on X (formerly Twitter) showed heavily armed men running through the Socio Vivienda district during the attack.

Emergency medical personnel were seen rushing to treat the injured, while dozens of government security forces were deployed to the area.

The latest deaths bring the number of people killed in the region in recent months to over 400, according to El Universo.

Ecuador is home to an estimated 20 criminal gangs involved in drug trafficking, kidnapping, and extortion. These groups have wreaked havoc in the country of 18 million people, which is sandwiched between the world’s largest cocaine producers, Peru and Colombia.

In recent years, Ecuador has descended into violence as transnational cartels have rapidly expanded, using its ports, such as Guayaquil, to ship cocaine to the United States and Europe.

Homicides, for instance, have surged from six per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018 to a record 47 in 2023.

Experts say the gangs are constantly evolving and growing stronger through profits generated from criminal activities.

Guayaquil is the capital of Guayas, one of seven provinces where a state of emergency has been in effect for the past two months as the government intensifies its crackdown on gang activity.

Last month, right-wing President Daniel Noboa, who is seeking re-election, announced plans to request support from unspecified allied countries to send special forces to assist in this ongoing battle.

The violence shows no signs of abating as Ecuador prepares for a run-off election on April 13, where Noboa will face off against leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez.

Noboa has adopted an “iron-fisted” approach to combat violent crime, including declaring a state of emergency and deploying military forces to the streets.

Human rights groups, however, claim that the aggressive use of armed forces has led to abuses, including the murder of four boys, whose charred bodies were recently discovered near an army base.