Eight killed, three injured in Santa Lucía
nightclub shooting as Ecuador battles a surge in gang-related attacks.
Santa Lucía, Ecuador — Eight people were killed and
three others wounded when gunmen opened fire inside a nightclub in Guayas
province early Sunday, officials said, in the latest mass shooting to hit the
violence-stricken coastal region.
Authorities were called to the Santa Lucía property
in the early hours of August 10, where they found seven people dead at the
scene. An eighth victim later died in hospital from gunshot wounds, police
confirmed.
Among those killed was the owner of the nightclub,
who was also the brother of Santa Lucía’s mayor, Ubaldo Urquizo. Local
officials expressed condolences on social media, saying they stood in
solidarity with the mayor and his family during “this difficult time.”
The motive for the attack remains unclear, but
investigators say it is part of a worrying rise in mass shootings in the
province of Guayas. The area is one of four provinces under a state of
emergency as authorities attempt to curb escalating gang violence.
Just weeks earlier, nine people were shot dead in a
pool hall on July 19, and 17 were killed in a bar on July 27. Police have
linked many of these incidents to rival drug-trafficking gangs vying for
control of coastal routes.
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa declared a
nationwide “war” on organized crime in January 2024, deploying military units
to cities and ports. Despite this, homicide rates remain among the highest in
Latin America.
Official data shows that 4,051 murders occurred in
Ecuador between January and May 2025 alone, with Guayas accounting for a
significant share. The country is a major transit hub for cocaine shipments,
with about 70% of the world’s production estimated to pass through its ports.
Witnesses to Sunday’s shooting reported hearing
rapid bursts of gunfire and seeing armed men flee in a dark vehicle. Police are
analyzing CCTV footage from the area and have launched a manhunt for the
suspects.
Security forces cordoned off the nightclub and
surrounding streets for several hours as forensic teams collected shell casings
and other evidence.
Residents of Santa Lucía say the attack has
heightened fears in the community, where many feel caught between criminal
gangs and heavy-handed security operations.
“We are scared to go out at night,” one shop owner
said. “Even with soldiers on the streets, the violence doesn’t stop.”
Government officials have vowed to continue
military patrols and intelligence operations in Guayas, but critics argue that
lasting change will require dismantling the economic and political networks
that sustain organized crime.
In recent months, Ecuador’s ports have been at the
center of high-profile drug seizures, including multi-ton shipments bound for
Europe. Analysts say these seizures, while significant, may also be prompting
violent reprisals from trafficking groups.
The latest killings add to a grim tally that has
turned once-peaceful coastal towns into epicenters of criminal conflict.
As of Monday, police had not announced any arrests,
but investigations were ongoing with support from specialized anti-gang units.
The attack underscores the challenges Ecuador faces
in restoring public safety in the face of powerful criminal organizations and
persistent drug trafficking.