Prosecutor Investigating TV Station Attack Assassinated in Ecuador
César Suárez, a prosecutor leading the investigation into the recent attack on Ecuador's TC Television, was shot dead in Guayaquil last Wednesday. Suárez, who had been investigating the storming of the TV station by masked gunmen during a live broadcast, was reportedly killed while driving near his office.
In an interview with El Universo just a day before his death, Suárez revealed that he had not been provided with police protection despite interrogating the 13 individuals arrested in connection with the TV station assault. The prosecutor's death adds to a concerning surge of violent incidents across Ecuador, including the escape of gang leaders from prison, hostage situations, and explosions in various cities.
Attorney General Diana Salazar expressed her grief, stating, "It is impossible not to be broken by the death of a colleague in the fight against organised crime. We will remain firm in his name: for him, for the country, for justice. Thank you for your work, César. Rest in peace," in a message shared on X, formerly known as Twitter. His death marks a grim development in the country's security situation.
The nation's deteriorating security situation is also reflected in a quadrupled murder rate from 2018 to 2022, coupled with a record 200-ton drug seizure in the previous year. The current challenges have intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic, disrupting the once-stable period Ecuador experienced during the "pink tide" under former President Rafael Correa from 2007 to 2018. President Daniel Noboa responded to the escalating violence by declaring a 60-day state of emergency and instructing the military to take action against 22 armed groups, reclassified as terrorist organisations.
Suárez was involved in multiple high-profile cases, including the Metastasis case, where he was investigating a drug lord allegedly receiving preferential treatment from the judicial system.
