Brigitte García, 27, was the youngest mayor in the country and served in the seaside town of San Vicente, in the Manabí province in western Ecuador. The municipality's communications director, Jairo Loor, was a journalist who worked in several media outlets, such as Oromar TV, Ecuador TV and Capital Televisión.
The National Police and the Public Prosecutor's Office of Ecuador are investigating the murder and so far it is believed that the shots that killed them were not fired from the outside of the vehicle but from the inside. In addition, the GPS of the rented vehicle is being analyzed. No one has been arrested yet.
Several politicians have expressed their condolences and have demanded an end to the current wave of violence that has engulfed the country. The murder has provided a platform for numerous MPs to criticize President Daniel Noboa for his inefficiency and resource management.
“Shocked by the murder of Brigitte García, and angry at a disasterous government that has made it possible by not giving the minimum guarantees to an authority like Brigitte to carry out her work as mayor. They are killing us and the government is having a good time,” stated Member of Parliament Blasco Luna.
Ecuador plunged further into violence after President Noboa declared in January state of emergency following the disappearance of two imprisoned leaders of the country's most important gangs as well as prison riots and explosions in several cities.
The cocaine route from South America to the United States and Europe passes through Ecuador and not only local, Mexican and Brazilian cartels, but also traffickers from the Balkans and Italy, have settled in the country to create supply lines to European markets.