Link to article: https://latinamericanpost.com/americas/politics/two-detained-in-ecuador-following-gang-related-prosecutor-murder-police-report/
Cesar Suarez, an Ecuadorean prosecutor, was murdered by a gang, prompting further investigation into the organized crime of Ecuador. The murder of the Ecuadorean prosecutor was so hard felt that it cause a 60 day state of emergency. The murder was an ambush which was gang affiliated, the gang involved is believed to be the ChoneKiller Gang. Gangs an organized crime has begun to run rampant in Ecuador, with journalist and reports going missing often. The Gangs have bribed the police and public officials. Cesar Suarez was one of the only prosecutors who didn’t take the Gangs bribes and still pursued them, likely being a primary reason in his murder.
The murder of Cesar Suarez was an act of organized crime which fully showcases the grip that gangs and cartels hold in Ecuador. The region is very similar to Mexico in regard to how rampant the issue has become. Public officials are likely more inclined to take the bribes as a form of safety and protection over actually caring about the money. The situation is a dire one considering that not much has been done to counteract the gangs. Mexico has tried to counteract gangs for years with little success, I do not believe that Ecuador will have any more luck in trying to remove the gangs than Mexico.
In international relations class, we have talked about how organized crime can exist when public officials and cops have become corrupt. The unfortunate part about it is, even when those corrupt few have been removed, it is very hard to remove gangs from power once they have set up. Gangs will bribe officials or just kill the ones who still persist in trying to abolish organized crime. The civilian people in the area are affected as well due to the nature of the gangs. No easy solution is in site, the region is likely ruined for years to come.