Prosecutor investigating Ecuador TV station attack shot dead

Jan 18, 2024

A prosecutor investigating the storming of an Ecuadorian TV station by gang members has been shot dead.

Cesar Suarez was killed on Wednesday as he was driving to court in Guayaquil, the country’s most dangerous city.

Police are treating it as an assassination and say he was shot multiple times.

Mr Suarez was probing last week’s attack on TC Television, when gang members broke into a studio during a live broadcast and held staff at gunpoint.

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Thirteen people, including two minors, have been arrested over that incident.

It happened shortly after a notorious gang boss escaped from prison, triggering a national state of emergency and night-time curfew.

Ecuador has seen a surge in violence recently, including explosions in some cities, police kidnapped and prison staff held hostage.

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Twenty-two criminal gangs have been designated terrorist organisations as President Daniel Noboa tries to quash the unrest linked to the drugs trade.

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Mr Suarez had previously worked on other organised crime cases in Guayas province.

He was also leading a case involving a drug lord who allegedly received favourable treatment from police, prosecutors and judges.

“The criminals, the terrorists, will not hold back our commitment to Ecuadorean society,” said attorney general Diana Salazar in a social media video.

“We call on the forces of order to guarantee the security of those who are carrying out their duties.”

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