BRAZEN ATTACK: ECUADORIAN MAYOR OF MANTA SHOT DEAD
QUITO, July 23 (Reuters) – Agustin Intriago, the mayor of the Ecuadorian Pacific port city of Manta, was tragically shot and killed on Sunday in a shocking attack that has left the political establishment stunned.
Authorities reported that Intriago, 38, who had been re-elected as mayor of Manta in February, was inspecting public works in the city at the time of the incident. According to regional police commander Edwin Noguera, a gunman stepped out of a stolen truck and opened fire on Intriago, fatally hitting him and a woman described as a “collateral victim.” Both individuals succumbed to their injuries.
Security officials accompanying the mayor immediately returned fire, managing to wound the driver of the vehicle. The suspect, a Venezuelan national with no prior criminal record, is now in police custody and receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital. However, the suspected shooter managed to escape, leaving authorities to launch a manhunt.
During the investigation, police discovered a grenade and a gun inside the stolen truck, which are believed to have been used in the attack.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. However, it was revealed that Intriago had previously reported receiving threats to authorities, although further details were not provided.
Ecuador has been grappling with an upsurge in violent crime, primarily driven by power struggles between criminal gangs involved in the drug trafficking trade, according to the government. Manta, a city home to over 200,000 people, has been targeted by such criminal organizations. Moreover, the country has been plagued by widespread common crime exacerbated by economic and social challenges, exacerbating its security woes.
President Guillermo Lasso expressed his condolences over Intriago’s “assassination” in a statement on Twitter. He vowed to bring the killers to justice, ordering authorities to intensify their efforts in this regard. Former President Rafael Correa also expressed shock, stating on Twitter, “I can’t believe this has happened.”
This marks the second attack on a mayor in recent months. In May, gunmen targeted the mayor of Duran, a city in Ecuador. Although the mayor escaped unharmed, a policeman was killed, and several others sustained injuries in the incident.
Intriago, a member of a local political party in Manta, leaves behind a legacy of public service and a city devastated by his untimely death.
In a related development, authorities announced that six people were killed and 11 others injured over the weekend in yet another wave of gang-related violence engulfing Ecuador’s prisons.
Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; editing by Diane Craft, Sonali Paul, Chris Reese, and Michael Perry