Six people were killed and six others injured in a shooting in Ecuador on Monday. Apparently, rival gangs have racked up a bill, police spokesman Marcelo Castillo said. At the beginning of June, five people were killed in a gun attack in the same city.
The port city of Guayaquil has been ravaged by a wave of violence since a drug war escalated. This time, the attackers drove a black vehicle into a residential area early in the morning, police said. “Four or five” people got out and opened fire, even though there were people on the street. It was “pure retaliation for expected acts of violence,” police spokesman Marcelo Castillo said. “They kill each other mercilessly.” The police found about 130 shell casings on the spot.
Starting point for drug transports
Due to its location, the port of Guayaquil is a major entry point for drug shipments to the United States and Europe. Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru, the two largest cocaine producers in the world. In addition, Ecuador uses the US dollar as its currency, making it even more attractive to drug cartels compared to countries with a weaker currency.
Drug crime has increased sharply, the number of murders has almost doubled between 2021 and 2022 – from 14 to 25 per 100,000 inhabitants. Guayaquil has been a center of bloody gang wars between drug gangs in the country for several years now. The president has previously declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Guayas and Esmeraldas. Earlier there had already been another shooting in a prison in Guayaquil (see video above).
Source: Krone
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