Another mayor was shot dead in Ecuador in the midst of the fight against drug violence decreed by Daniel Noboa

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Another mayor was shot dead this Wednesday in Ecuador, within the framework of the “internal armed conflict” declared by President Daniel Noboa, against organized crime gangs, the main causes, according to authorities, of the wave of violence that the country is experiencing.

The victim is José Sánchez, mayor of the Camilo Ponce Enríquez municipality, located in the southern Andean province of Azuay. The provincial prefect, Juan Cristóbal Lloret Valdivieso, confirmed the tragic news through social networks, expressing deep regret to Sánchez’s family, friends, and the people who elected him.

Sánchez, popularly known as ‘Jushico’, had previously reported to the press and the Prosecutor’s Office an alleged attack against his home that occurred on the night of October 2, 2023. The Mayor’s Office of Camilo Ponce Enríquez issued a statement condemning the act of violence that led to the loss of Sánchez’s life.

The municipality of Camilo Ponce Enríquez was facing problems of illegal mining, a situation that the mayor, also involved in mining, had promised to formalize. This tragic event comes just three weeks after the death of Brigitte García, Ecuador’s youngest mayor, who was found shot dead in the coastal province of Manabí.

President Noboa had declared an “internal armed conflict” against organized crime gangs earlier in the year, in an effort to curb the escalating violence in the country. The move was aimed at addressing a spike in homicides, which had elevated Ecuador to one of the most dangerous countries in Latin America, with a high homicide rate of 45 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.

The latest attack on a local authority comes just days after a referendum called by President Noboa to implement reforms in justice, employment, and security, with a focus on combating organized crime. The Government considers these crime groups as terrorist organizations and non-state belligerent actors, primarily engaged in drug trafficking, illegal mining, and extortion.

The authorities are working to find those responsible for this heinous crime that has left the province of Azuay and Ecuador in mourning. This tragic event underscores the ongoing challenges and dangers faced by public officials in Ecuador as they strive to address crime and violence in the country.