The country is facing a wave of explosive attacks, especially against police headquarters. According to international agencies, there have been more than 145 attacks this year. However, last weekend was the first time that a residential area became the target of this type of crime.
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According to Ecuadorian authorities, the episode left 17 people dead – two people in critical condition – and five dead.
Retaliation
The Minister of the Interior, Patricio Carrillo, attributed the wave of violence to retaliation against drug seizures that the State made in the Guayaquil region – 250 kilos of cocaine were confiscated.
On social media, Carrillo described the attack as a declaration of war. “Organized crime mercenaries, who narcotized the economy for a long time, now attack with explosives. It is a declaration of war on the State.”
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Emergency state
The state of emergency decreed by President Guillermo Lasso makes it possible to suspend the inviolability of homes. This allows the police to enter homes without judicial authorization.
In addition, authorities can also examine packages sent by mail and ban gatherings in the city. The measure is valid for the next 30 days.
This is the third time this year alone that the government has suspended the rights and freedoms of inviolability of domicile in Ecuador.
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Data
The city of Guayaquil has the highest number of intentional homicides in the country, with 32,5% of cases.
Located between Colombia and Peru, the world's largest cocaine producers, Ecuador has already acquired more than 100 tons of the drug in the first half of 2022.
With information from Agence France Press/AFP.
