MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Murder of 27-year-old female mayor adds to Ecuador's long crime list

García and Loor were found lifeless inside a car

Ecuador's youngest mayor and another occupant of her car were found dead with wounds consistent with those stemming from firearms in the coastal city of San Vicente, in the province of Manabi, despite the state of emergency in force, it was reported Sunday.

”Early this morning in the San Vicente sector, Manabí, 2 people were identified inside a vehicle without vital signs, with gunshot wounds, corresponding to Jairo L. and Brigitte G. (mayor of the San Vicente canton),“ Ecuadorean Police posted on X. The other victim was reported to be Santa Vicente's Communications Director Jairo Loor.

García, 27, belonged to former President Rafael Correa's Citizen Revolution movement. ”I am devastated. I can't believe it,“ Correa wrote on X. ”My God, Brigitte! She was the youngest mayor of the country,“ he added from his exile in Belgium. ”If it is so hard for one, I can imagine how their families must be.... I have no words“.

Garcia's murder came less than two months after that of Diana Carnero, a 29-year-old councilwoman for the coastal municipality of Naranjal, in the province of Guayas not far from the port city of Guayaquil on Feb. 7, who was gunned down by hired hitmen. She was also a Correísta, who joined the list of other prominent homicide victims such as Manta Mayor Agustin Intriago and presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency back in January, less than two months into his term, in a move to curb the spiraling violence following jailbreaks and rioting by organized crime groups.

In declaring the ”internal armed conflict“, the government identified at least 22 transnational organized crime groups and classified them ”as terrorist organizations“ and ”belligerent non-state actors“.

Noboa launched the so-called ”Phoenix Plan“ to regain control at correctional facilities, many of which are virtually run by inmates. Over 450 of them have been killed since 2020 due to rival gang violence massacres.

Ecuador reported 45 intentional homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.

”We are working with the Attorney General's Office and we have ordered the National Police of Ecuador to carry out all actions to ensure immediacy in the investigation, to find the perpetrators and masterminds,” a spokesperson for the Ecuadorean government was quoted as saying.

Garcia's crime also occurred as the country is headed for the April 21 referendum in which issues such as the Armed Forces' involvement in tackling crime in addition to judiciary and labor reforms are to be decided on.