Ecuador: Another Politician Killed Ahead of Snap Elections
The Facts
Pedro Briones, a local left-wing leader in Ecuador's violence-torn Pacific province of Esmeraldas, was shot dead on Monday, making him the second politician to be slain in the country in less than one week.
Though police have not officially commented on the murder, local media reported that two gunmen on a motorbike attacked him at his home in San Mateo, south of the city of Esmeraldas. The FBI has joined the investigation into the murder, for which the motives are still unclear.
The Spin
Narrative A
These are shocking tragedies, but this string of killings shouldn't come as a surprise for those closely observing Latin America, as the region has seen political violence on the rise for a some time amid growing political populism. For instance, scores of politicians — including 35 candidates — were killed ahead of Mexico's 2021 midterm elections. Though sad, these figures aren't rare in South America.
Narrative B
The fact that multiple politicians have recently been slain in Ecuador doesn't mean that there has been a surge in specifically political violence, especially as it comes amid a rise in power among cocaine gangs. It should have been clear, especially after the assassination of Villavicencio, that drug trafficking groups are to blame for all this violence, as they are seeking to turn the country into a narco-state.
