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After the declaration of a state of emergency: soldiers stand guard in front of the Zonal 8 prison

Photo: Henry Romero / REUTERS

Ecuador's youngest mayor, Brigitte García, and an adviser were found shot to death in a car in Manabí province, police said. Both suffered gunshot wounds.

The 27-year-old García belonged to former President Rafael Correa's "Civil Revolution" party. She was the mayor of San Vicente.

Luisa González, the party's presidential candidate in the last elections, described García's death on X as a murder. "I just learned that our co-mayor of San Vicente, Brigitte García, was murdered," González wrote in a post. "I have no words, I'm shocked, no one is safe in Ecuador, NO ONE."

García is another of the country's politicians apparently killed following the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last August. Villavicencio, a vocal critic of corruption and organized crime, was killed while leaving a campaign rally two weeks before the election.

The South American country is hit by a wave of violence. The authorities attribute this to drug trafficking.

President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency in January due to the chaotic conditions in the South American country's prisons. Criminal gangs have recently had violent clashes in the country's prisons and taken guards hostage.

According to the prison administration, the head of the powerful gang "Los Choneros", Adolfo Macías alias "Fito", apparently managed to escape. This Tuesday, the authorities also reported the escape of another drug lord, Fabricio Colón Pico, one of the leaders of the Los Lobos gang.

Gunmen stormed TV stations

At the beginning of February, armed men attacked the state television station TC Televisión in the port city of Guayaquil during a live broadcast. Several journalists and employees were threatened and taken hostage by a group of criminals with guns and explosives, as seen on television images.

President Noboa also designated 22 criminal groups as terrorist organizations. The state of emergency was extended earlier this month.

jpa/Reuters