At least 15 people have died in violent incidents over the weekend in the Guayas region of Ecuador, according to the official balance sheet.
In Milagro canton, five people were killed in a billiards bar, a crime picked up by surveillance cameras showing four individuals who arrived on a motorcycle and opened fire with a pistol and a rifle, reports Ecuavisa television.
Separately, five more people were killed in a private urbanization in Daule, including a former policeman, Estuardo Granados. Nearly US$380,000 was later found in his house and his wife was arrested.
In total, there were 155 violent deaths up to January 29 in Zone 8, which includes Guayaquil, provincial capital of Guayas, as well as the cantons of Durán and Samborondón, also in that province.
Ecuador closed 2022 with 4,539 violent deaths, being the worst year in history, according to records. The government attributes the situation to the confrontation between criminal gangs, mainly those that dispute territories for drug trafficking.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
