Attack in Ecuador: “The car bomb in Guayaquil reveals that organized crime has decided to confront the State”

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The governor of GuayasHumberto Plaza, described the explosion as an act of “pure and simple terrorism”.

Noboa He reacted on Wednesday and said that acts like these are part of a plan to “unbalance a Government so that it does not meet the needs” of citizens.

“We cannot retreat before the mafias or before the people who want to terrorize families”said.

How was the attack?

The explosion occurred in Joaquín Orrantia Avenuein front of the Mall del Solnear the Sheraton Hotel and the building known as 100 Business Plazain a commercial and tourist area of Guayaquil.

At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, videos of the Integrated Security Service of Ecuador, ECU 911 captured the fire of a van on Joaquín Orrantía Avenue. The vehicle remained on fire for about five minutes and then exploded.

Wellington Beniteza citizen who was recording the fire with his cell phone, died at the scene after being hit by a shrapnel. The victim was a taxi driver who worked in the sector.

A second vehicle with explosive charge was discovered by the police, but did not explode; It was neutralized by a controlled detonation.

Later, the Minister of the Interior, John Reimbergreported that the device used in the attack was not handmade, but professionally made.

The Government points to Los Lobos

Wednesday morning, Reimberg said that the criminal group Los Lobos would be behind the attack.

He added that the attempt responds to the actions of the Armed Forces and the police against illegal miningespecially in the area of ​​Buenos Aires, province of Imbabura.

The minister explained that The Wolves They have links with the Colombian dissident group Óliver Sinisterra, related to illegal mining activities.

This is the second vehicle to explode in Guayaquil in less than a month. On September 26, another car was detonated outside the Regional Jail. No injuries or deaths were recorded.

In addition, on October 9, the police deactivated explosives attached to a gas cylinder that was in a vehicle parked outside the Litoral Penitentiarythe most populated and dangerous prison in Ecuador.

The place of the attack

According to the newspaper El Universo, the site of the attack is a relatively newdeveloped ago about 25 years and is located near the Guayaquil airport. It is known as City of the Sunbecause there rose the largest shopping center in the city, Mall del Sol.

This shopping center receives thousands of visitors every day. Furthermore, in the area there is buildings that house three hotels from international chains such as Sheraton, office towers executive, corporate and departments.

El Universo reported that much of that development was driven by Pronobiscompany of Nobis Groupfrom the businesswoman Isabel Noboaaunt of the president Daniel Noboa. This generates speculation about whether there is a symbolic or political objective behind the attack, in addition to the possibility of causing indiscriminate damage.

Organized crime moves to a new phase

The expert analyst in security issues Fernando Carrión he told The Commerce that the attack on Guayaquil mark one new phase of direct confrontation of criminal organizations with the Ecuadorian Stateafter the declaration of internal armed conflict on January 9, 2024.

He explained that, after this measure, homicides temporarily decreased because The gangs decided not to confront the State and opted for a strategic withdrawal. But since March of this year, murders have increased again, and so far in October there has been a significant increase.

Indeed, in 2023 there was a record of 46 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants (7,878 violent crimes), while in 2024 the rate dropped to 39 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants (7,033 violent crimes).

However, this 2025 there is a strong rebound. In the first semester there were 4,619 homicides47% more than in the same period in 2024. Last Sunday, two massacres left 14 dead and 17 injured.

Carrión said that the car bomb in Guayaquil evidence that criminal structures no longer only compete with each other for illicit territories or markets, but ““Now they decide to confront the State directly.” and possibly with President Noboa himselfsince the attack occurred in an area with high purchasing power where even companies linked to a relative of the president operate.his aunt Isabel Noboa.

The analyst warned that the Ecuadorian State is not prepared to face urban attacks with explosivesa type of violence that was not common in the country and that has increased in the last year and a half. He described a pattern that had been repeated: stolen vehicles loaded with improvised explosives used as intimidating messages or acts.

Regarding the causes of the current upsurge in violence, the expert linked the phenomenon with the national strike caused by the elimination of the diesel subsidy, which raised its price from 1.80 to 2.80 dollars. This has forced the Armed Forces and the police to respond to social protests, neglecting the fight against organized crimewhich, according to Carrión, is taking its toll.

Furthermore, he criticized that the Noboa government try to equate social protests with terrorismwhich generates confusion and distrust among citizens.

Finally, he stressed that The prison crisis continues to be the Achilles heel of national security in Ecuador.

In the last four years there have been some 600 deaths inside prisonsincluding recent massacres, showing that Prisons remain under the control of criminal structureshe indicated.

According to Carrión, the penitentiary system “operates outside the law”, without fulfilling its rehabilitation and reintegration function, and maintains active communication channels between inmates and the outside world.