Mayor shot dead in Ecuador less than a month before presidential elections

Mayor shot dead in Ecuador less than a month before presidential elections


Eber Ponce is the second mayor to be assassinated in El Oro province since Daniel Noboa’s term in office in 2023; the next presidential elections are scheduled for February 9

The mayor of Ecuadorian city from Arenillas, Eber Ponce, is dead after being the victim of a armed attack this Saturday, 11. The mayor was shot five times while driving his truck. Three other people, including a minor, who accompanied him were injured. The man who shot him was driving a motorcycle abandoned after the attack.

Videos posted on social media show a group of people helping an injured person and placing him in the trunk of a car. Ponce died a few hours after the attack at a local hospital.

“It is not right that work for our cities becomes a risk to our lives and our families. This hurts us and fills us with indignation,” the Association of Ecuadorian Municipalities said in a statement published.

The attack on Ponce comes less than a month before presidential elections in Ecuador Country devastated by the violence of drug trafficking gangs. Arenillas is located in the province of They – this is the second mayor to be assassinated in the greater region since the 2023 presidential election, when Daniele Noboa was elected.

The president is aiming for re-election in the elections scheduled for February 9, being the favorite, above all due to his tough policy against organized crime. According to the government, homicides will reduce by 16% in 2024.

More than 30 politicians have been assassinated since 2023, including presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio (center), who was shot while leaving a rally in Quitothe country’s capital, on the eve of the first round of voting, 9 August 2023. /AFP

Source: Terra

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