Two individuals were arrested on Wednesday in Ecuador for the killing of prosecutor César Suárez, who was investigating the attack on a local television channel by criminal gangs.
The Ecuadorian Police announced the arrest of two individuals who are allegedly involved in the killing of prosecutor César Suárez, who was working on the case of the attack on the TC television channel in Guayaquil.
The arrest took place on Wednesday, the same day that Suárez was shot dead by gunmen in the coastal city of Guayaquil, where the country is under a state of emergency and an internal armed conflict declaration due to the violent activities of criminal gangs.
The General Commander of the Police, César Zapata, posted on his X account (formerly Twitter) that the two suspects were apprehended after investigative procedures that allowed them to establish their presumed role in the murder. He also reported that a rifle, two pistols, magazines and two vehicles were confiscated from the arrestees.
The killing of prosecutor Suárez happened on Wednesday morning, when he was driving to a court hearing in a drug trafficking case, without any security escort. Suárez had recently questioned the detainees for the assault on the TC Televisión channel in Guayaquil, which occurred last week and was attributed to criminal gangs.
The Government of Ecuador condemned the assassination of the prosecutor and reaffirmed its support for the administration of justice in the context of the “internal war” that it is waging against transnational organized crime. The State Attorney General, Diana Salazar, expressed her sorrow for Suárez’s death and stated that the Public Ministry will continue its fight against organized crime groups.
Salazar said on Wednesday that “this heinous event carries a message for the work that we are doing through justice in Ecuador”, but that “organized crime groups, criminals, terrorists will not deter our commitment to Ecuadorian society”. She also urged the law enforcement agencies to “ensure the safety of those of us who are performing our duties”, and the Judicial Council to authorize the judicial hearings conducted by prosecutors from the organized crime units “to be done electronically”.
