12 people were killed and several others were injured after gunmen dressed as soldiers opened fire at an arena. The massacre was captured on camera and has since been circulating on the internet. Following the incident, which is believed to be a targeted shooting, the police arrested four suspects.
The bloodbath occurred in a rural Ecuadorian village on April 17 when armed men wearing fake military gear entered a venue in La Valencia. In the footage, the assailants storm the arena and start to shoot. Spectators were seen fleeing in panic or diving for cover as bullets rained through the venue.
On April 18, the police executed an operation in Manabí province and arrested four suspects. During the raid, firearms, ammunition, and military-style uniforms were seized, according to BBC. The uniforms used by the attackers were replicas of those worn by the Ecuadorian military and law enforcement, per the report. The fake gear was likely intended to confuse or gain quick access before the ambush.
Additional reports from local media indicate that the attackers were members of a local criminal gang targeting rivals believed to be present at the event. Authorities have not yet confirmed the identities of the victims or the group suspected of shooting up the area. The massacre is currently under investigation by the provincial officials.
It is unclear if this recent massacre is connected to ongoing conflicts between powerful drug-trafficking organisations in the region. With more than 20 criminal gangs currently operating in the country, Ecuador has been grappling with a surge in violent crime linked to drug trafficking. This stems from it being situated between Colombia and Peru, the world’s top two producers of cocaine.
President Daniel Noboa recently stated that around 70% of the world’s cocaine is smuggled through Ecuador’s ports on its way to markets in the United States and Europe, BBC reported. January 2025 marked one of the most violent months in Ecuador’s history, with 781 murders reported, many believed to be linked to drug turf wars.
