MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Ecuador: Two arrested in connection with Prosecutor Suárez's murder

“We have apprehended two suspects,” Zapata said on X

Ecuadorean authorities Thursday arrested two people in connection with Wednesday's murder of Prosecutor César Suárez, who was handling the case of the Jan. 9 assault on a TV station amid the growing wave of drug trafficking, terrorism, and organized crime violence. Various guns and two vehicles were also seized in the operation, it was explained.

“We have apprehended two suspects involved in the murder of prosecutor César Suárez, in Guayaquil, after investigative proceedings that allowed us to identify the alleged participation in the criminal act,” Police Chief César Zapata wrote on X.

Suarez, who had recently questioned those arrested in the assault on Guayaquil's public broadcaster, was killed by hitmen who fired at his vehicle as he was driving unescorted to a hearing.

State Attorney General Diana Salazar condemned Suarez's crime in a video on X and insisted that her Office would not stop its fight against organized crime. “This atrocious fact brings with it a message for the work we are fulfilling from the justice system in Ecuador,” but “organized crime groups, criminals, terrorists will not stop our commitment to Ecuadorean society.”

She also called on law enforcement to “guarantee the safety of those of us who are carrying out our duties”, as well as the Judiciary Council to authorize that the judicial hearings carried out by prosecutors of the units against organized crime “be carried out telematically.”

President Daniel Noboa has declared an “internal armed war” and ordered the military to “neutralize” the trafficking groups.