On Sunday, March 24, 2024 Brigitte Garcia, the youngest mayor in Ecuador’s history, and her adviser, Jairo Loor, were found dead from gunshot wounds inside a vehicle in the coastal town of San Vicente, Ecuador.
Ecuador, once celebrated as a bastion of peace in Latin America, is now confronting a surge in gang-related violence. President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency three months ago following violent incidents, including the escape of Los Choneros gang leader, Adolfo Fito Macias.
Following the declaration, the government initiated the Phoenix Plan, targeting criminal activities through the deployment of military forces in the streets and taking control of the country’s prisons. Nonetheless, violence persisted, highlighted by a violent ambush over the weekend in Sucumbios, resulting in one soldier’s death and three injuries, alongside a bomb threat in Latacunga. Despite the setbacks, the government claims its “Phoenix Plan” has reduced violence, with over 12,000 arrests and 65 tons of drugs seized.
The deaths of Garcia and Loor have drawn widespread condemnation, prompting the government to pledge enhanced security measures. The Ecuadorian National Police revealed that the shots were fired from within the vehicle—a detail that complicates the ongoing investigation. The car, which had been leased, is being tracked via its GPS system to gather more information.
Garcia, a representative of the Citizen Revolution Movement party, was more than a political figure; she was a beacon of hope for her community, having recently launched a project to improve water access. Her killing has spotlighted the precarious security situation in Ecuador, grappling with transnational drug cartels’ influence and a spike in gang violence.
Since the state of emergency’s inception in January, the government reports progress with the Phoenix Plan, citing over 165,000 operations, more than 12,000 arrests, and the seizure of approximately 143,300 pounds of drugs. However, the murder of Garcia, along with ongoing violent episodes, underscores the daunting challenges Ecuador faces in eradicating entrenched gang networks.
Garcia’s death has profoundly impacted Ecuadorian politics, with Luisa Gonzalez, the presidential candidate of Garcia’s party, expressing shock and highlighting the pervasive insecurity plaguing the nation. This event follows the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, an anti-corruption presidential candidate, last August, which further emphasizes the risks public officials in Ecuador confront.
The violence in Ecuador is not an isolated phenomenon but part of a more significant regional crisis. The increase in gang activity and drug trafficking is tied to weakened state institutions, corruption, and social challenges magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ecuador’s strategic location between Peru and Colombia, the world’s foremost cocaine producers, has turned it into a crucial transit point for drug trafficking, exacerbating the violence. The international community, including the United States, has supported Ecuador in addressing these challenges. However, experts argue that a militarized crackdown alone cannot resolve the root causes of gang violence and drug trafficking.
