A shooting at a nightclub in rural Ecuador resulted in the deaths of eight people, with three others injured, in the latest incident that authorities allege has broken out due to conflicts in the world of organized crime.

Why it Matters

Mass killings and high-profile violent incidents have plagued authorities and officials in Ecuador since 2023, when the country experienced unprecedented year of violence.

A total of 8,008 homicides – a rate of 47 per 100,000 inhabitants - were recorded that year, a sharp increase from the previous rate of 6.7 per 100,000 inhabitants recorded in 2020, according to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI).

Ecuador's homicide rate now outpaces Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras, making it the highest in South America, the USCRI reported earli

See Full Page