According to preliminary information, Mendoza was intercepted by subjects on a motorcycle. Local media revealed that Mendoza, 41 years old, was a leading figure in the 2023 sectional elections in Manabí, in which he came in second place, after Javier Pincay, from the Avanza party, who won the Mayor’s Office of Portoviejo.

The police are investigating this crime, which occurred when the military and police high command moved to that province to fight organized crime.

The event also took place after Interior Minister Monica Palencia assured Monday that intentional homicides were reduced nationwide by 17 percent in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period last year.

According to Palencia, the city of Manta, also in the province of Manabí, ‘has achieved 25 consecutive days without intentional homicides’.

In Ecuador, the declaration of internal armed conflict is in force, a provision with which President Daniel Noboa accompanied last January another declaration of a state of emergency nationwide to curb insecurity and organized crime.

Despite the military presence on the streets, the number of violent deaths, extortion and other crimes continues to rise, while concerns grow over the excessive use of force in the fight against criminal groups.

Legal experts warn that militarization will not do much good if social measures are not adopted to reduce inequality.

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