In a shocking outbreak of violence, six individuals, including a two-year-old child, were gunned down at a popular beach resort in Ecuador on Sunday morning.
Attack at a Tourist Hub
The incident unfolded in the coastal town of Puerto López, located in Ecuador's Manabí province. According to police reports, several armed men arrived at a public area and opened fire on a group of people. Regional police commander Colonel William Acurio stated the assault began at around 9am local time.
The attackers fled the scene before officers could arrive. No arrests have been announced in the immediate aftermath. Among the six fatalities was a toddler aged approximately two years old. Three other people were injured in the brazen daylight attack.
Link to Organised Crime Feuds
Investigators have indicated the shooting is likely connected to internal disputes between organised crime groups operating in the region. Ecuador's strategic location, sandwiched between the world's two largest cocaine exporters, Colombia and Peru, has made it a key transit point and battleground for gangs linked to powerful international cartels.
This attack is not an isolated event. Local media reported that the shooting formed part of a wider surge in violence across Puerto López over the weekend, with at least nine people killed in separate incidents.
A Deepening National Security Crisis
The bloodshed in Puerto López, a destination famed for whale-watching and tourism, underscores a broader and alarming deterioration of security across Ecuador. Violence tied to drug trafficking routes and gang rivalries has surged dramatically in recent years.
This year alone has seen several mass-casualty shootings. In October, five people were shot dead at a pool hall in Santo Domingo in a gang-related dispute. A month earlier, in September, another pool hall attack left seven dead and four wounded, marking one of the deadliest single incidents this year.
Despite hardline policies instituted by President Daniel Noboa, the tide of violence has not been stemmed. The country is on track to end the year with a record homicide rate of 52 per 100,000 residents, according to the Geneva-based Organised Crime Observatory. Killings in neighbourhoods and public spaces have become commonplace, casting a long shadow over the nation's stability.
