At least 22 people killed as a gang violence erupts in Ecuador | Drug news

Rival factions of a drug gang are fighting for Port City Guayakil's territory before the presidential election.

At least 22 people have been killed in the port city of Guayakil in Ecuador after rival factions of a drug gang of drug trafficking exchange firing, emphasizing the worsening situation of the law and order in the country before A Presidential raceS

Another three people were injured in violence, police said in a statement when the death rate increased from 19 to 22 on Friday.

Police said the shootout erupted on Thursday after opposing factions of a gang called Los Tigerones, one of the most powerful in this former peaceful country, were caught in a dispute.

Guayakil's El University newspaper described the murder as “slaughter”, adding that gangs are fighting for the territories they control.

According to the newspaper, several homes in the area of ​​the socio Vivienda in the city were directed by at least 20 members of the armed gangs, which led to many deaths.

The images and videos published on X showed several highly armed men running around the Socio Viviennda area during the attack.

Emergency medical professionals were also spotted in a hurry to be injured for treatment, as dozens of government security forces were deployed in the area.

Recent deaths have led to more than 400 issues killed in the area in recent months, EL Univo reported.

Ecuador is home to approximately 20 criminal gangs involved in drug trafficking, abduction and extortion, causing chaos in a country of 18 million, pressed among the largest cocaine producers in the world, Peru and Colombia.

In recent years, Ecuador has been immersed in violence against the backdrop of the rapid distribution of transnational cartels that use their ports, such as Guayakil, to deliver cocaine to the United States and Europe.

The killings, for example, increased from six to 100,000 inhabitants in 2018 to a record of 47 in 2023.

Experts claim that gangs are constantly mutating and intensifying with crime profits.

Guayaquil is the capital of Guis, one of the seven provinces, where in the last two months it has been in force for the government to fight gangsters.

Last month, right -wing President Daniel Noboa, who is seeking re -election, said he would ask unspecified allied countries to send special forces to help him lead to this battle.

Violence is not left as Ecuador's equipment for a Expiration elections on April 13 in which Noboa will face left Louisa Gonzalez.

Noboa had used an approach, which was “Iron-Jumruck” to break into violence, including to declare a state of emergency and to unleash the army on the streets.

Human Rights Groups claim that the aggressive use of the armed forces has led to abuse, including Killing four boys whose charred bodies were recently found near an army base.