The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon in the canton of General Villamil Playas, a popular destination for local tourists, located 90 kilometers from Guayaquil.

The Prosecutor’s Office announced on its X account that “armed individuals entered the premises and shot at those present.” Among the victims were several municipal officials, a soccer teacher, and a teenager.

The Municipality of Playas declared mourning for this multiple crime, while the prefect of Guayas province, Marcela Aguinaga, stated: “The violence relentlessly seeks to bring us to our knees, silence us, and accustom us to the horror. But we will not remain silent. Nor will we surrender.”

In the first five months of 2025, Ecuador recorded more than 4,000 homicides, according to official figures. Experts believe that, if this trend continues, this year will end as the most violent in recent history.

Nearly 2,000 uniformed officers are deployed in the coastal province of Manabí after more than 20 murders were recorded there in less than a week.

The government insists that it has been facing an internal armed conflict since January 2024, when President Daniel Noboa declared war on criminal gangs.

Despite numerous state of emergency decrees and the authorities’ commitment to combating crime, homicides continue to rise, and the population demands urgent responses.

jdt/oda/avr