Deployment in Ecuador: Wave of Violence Intensifies

In Ecuador's southern province of El Oro, ten bodies were discovered on a property in the municipality of Guabo, as reported by the police on Sunday. This discovery is part of a worrying increase in violence that has shaken the country in recent years. Authorities attribute this to rival drug gangs competing for territories and smuggling routes. The escalation in crime and violence prompted Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to declare an internal armed conflict this year and classify nearly two dozen gangs as terrorist groups. Col. Pablo Fajardo explained to reporters that among the victims, one body was found completely dismembered in a burlap sack, about a kilometer from the others. The nationality of the victims remains unclear; it is suspected that they might be foreigners who were attacked during a rest stop. Projectiles found at the crime scene, including nine-millimeter cartridges and 5.56 caliber rifle ammunition, have been secured. Other individuals who were with the victims may have successfully escaped. Initial investigations suggest that the victims might have been known to the police for crimes such as illegal trafficking of controlled substances, robbery, or attempted murder.