They killed the prosecutor who was investigating the attack on the canal in Ecuador

The Ecuadorian prosecutor who investigated the attack by an armed group on a television channel in Guayaquil He was killed this Wednesday in the middle of an “internal armed conflict”, which was ordered by the government of Ecuador to stop the spiral of violence that was launched last week by organized crime groups.

The prosecutor’s office confirmed the death of the prosecutor Cesar Suarezwho was questioned a few days ago about taking over the Channel TC television according to thirteen detainedwho stormed in with guns on January 9 and held their workers hostage for several hours while the live broadcast was still going on.

According to local media, Suárez was chased after leaving the prosecutor’s office this Wednesday by unknown persons who shot him inside the car in which he was traveling through a sector in the north of the port city of Guayaquil.

Ecuadorian authorities continued to remove the body for proper transfer to the morgue about an hour after the crime.

Suárez was in charge of cases related to drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crimeand this Tuesday, in a statement to the newspaper, he requested police protection Universeafter taking statements from thirteen people who participated in taking over the channel, including two minors.

Eleven adult men were detained as a precaution, while two minors were remanded in custody.

The armed group that attacked the channel allegedly belonged to a criminal group ‘Tiguerons’according to the police.

Attorney General, Diana Salazarhe condemned the crime of the agent Public service and said his addiction will not stop his fight against organized crime groups.

“This cruel event brings with it a message for the work we do through justice in Ecuador,” but “organized criminal groups, criminals, terrorists will not stop our commitment to Ecuadorian society,” the prosecutor said.

He also called on law enforcement to “guarantee the safety” of officials, as well as the Judicial Council to approve court hearings conducted by prosecutors from anti-organized crime units “to be conducted electronically.”

Salazar said that the Prosecutor’s Office had undertaken the first investigations into Suárez’s murder and, after expressing his condolences to his family, assured that his legacy would follow the Public Ministry’s fight against crime.

During January 9, violent actions were committed in different parts of Ecuador, such as kidnappings and murders of police officers, explosive devices, burning vehicles, riots in prisons with about 200 hostageswho have already been released, and the aforementioned takeover of the television channel by an armed group.

The events took place at a time when the president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboawas preparing to launch a “strong arm” plan to regain control of the prisons, many of which were dominated by organized crime groups where more than 450 inmates have been killed since 2020 in a series of prison massacres between rival gangs.

This violence has also moved to the streets, where in recent years Ecuador has become one of the most violent countries in the world, with approx 45 intentional murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023.the year in which the presidential candidate was killed Fernando Villavicencio.

Last week, Noboa declared in an unprecedented manner in Ecuador the existence of an “internal armed conflict” against organized crime mafias, mainly dedicated to drug trafficking, which he classified as terrorist groups and belligerent non-state actors to be neutralized by law enforcement.

Although the situation calmed down and Ecuadorians tried to return to normal, a prison officer was killed yesterday Tuesday in the Amazon province of Sucumbíos, and this Wednesday the crime of prosecutor César Suárez took place.