Through a statement, the authorities of that territory specified that in the last five days, 14 murders have been registered in the canton. Mayor Luis Chonillo urged the Executive, the Armed Forces and the National Police to take urgent measures to restore order, amid the wave of violent deaths in that area.

On May 25, Lasso created a Joint Task Force to intervene in the town of Duran, where some 500 uniformed officers were to carry out operations against the three narco-criminal organizations that are fighting for control of the area and the routes in the Gulf of Guayaquil to transport drugs.

However, Chonillo denounced that the presence of the security forces has not been the optimal contingent to safeguard the security of citizens.

Ecuador suffers more and more frequent prison riots, robberies, assaults, murders, kidnappings, extortion, among other crimes that the government attributes mainly to gangs linked to drug trafficking.

Analysts and citizens warn of the need for investments both to strengthen the public forces and to promote social development.

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