Drug violence in Ecuador: UN and United States condemn murder of Mayor Brigitte Garcia

Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, “Strongly” condemned the killing of the mayor of an Ecuadorian city ravaged by drug-trafficking violence, brigitte garciaand his partner Gyro lure, A spokesperson reported this on Monday, while the United States Embassy in Ecuador called for “an end to political and criminal violence” in the South American country.

Guterres is “following recent events in Ecuador” and “strongly condemns the killings” of the mayor of the resort of San Vicente (south-west) and the municipality’s communications director, the deputy spokesperson told the press. Farhan Haq.

In addition to sending his “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the deceased and “the population of San Vicente”, the Secretary-General reminded Ecuadorian authorities that efforts to curb the violence of drug trafficking gangs must “respect international law.” Needed.”

On your behalf, the US Ambassador to Quito, Michael Fitzpatrick He expressed “his condolences to all the people of Ecuador for the assassination of the mayor of San Vicente.”

“Our thoughts are with Manabi. We completely reject this attack against Ecuador’s democracy and call for a stop to it End political and criminal violenceAnd there will be a full investigation into this matter,” Fitzpatrick said.

garcia and lure He was murdered inside a vehicle on Sunday morning The mayor was reported missing Saturday by his family, after which he was found parked in a deserted beach area in the north of Manabi province.

According to the first investigation conducted by the police, the bullets were fired from inside the vehicle, which was rented.

The Ecuadorian Prosecutor’s Office indicated this Monday that it is continuing proceedings to find those responsible and clarify the facts, with no arrests made so far in the process.

Garcia was 27 years old Ecuador’s youngest mayorAfter being elected at the age of 26 in the 2023 local elections, in which she ran for the Citizen Revolution Movement, whose leader is former President Rafael Correa (2007–2017).

During this Monday, a funeral chapel is to be held in the mayor’s office so that the residents of San Vicente can say the last goodbye to García, while the funeral will take place in the parish of Canoa, where she was originally from.

President’s Government Daniel Noboa In January, it ordered a state of internal armed conflict and deployed armed forces to fight violence resulting from the gang leader’s escape. “The Choneros”Adolfo ‘phyto’ Macias, of Guayaquil prison.

About twenty drug trafficking organizations were described as “terrorist” and “belligerent”.

Since January, public forces carried out some 165,000 operations, more than 12,000 arrests, 15 people considered “terrorists” killed And according to official figures, about 65 tonnes of drugs were seized.

Located midway between Colombia and Peru, the world’s largest cocaine producers, Ecuador became a logistics hub for shipping drugs to the United States and Europe.

(With information from AFP and EFE)