Ecuador shooting: 8 dead, 3 injured in Santa Lucia nightclub attack; authorities link escalating violence to organised crime turf wars

Eight people were killed and three others injured when gunmen opened fire outside a nightclub in southwestern Ecuador on Sunday, marking the latest incident in the country’s ongoing wave of violence.

The shooting occurred in the rural area of Santa Lucia, in Guayas province, considered one of Ecuador’s most dangerous regions. Police said the victims, aged between 20 and 40, included seven people who died at the scene and one who succumbed to injuries at a hospital.

According to authorities, the heavily armed attackers arrived on motorcycles and in two vehicles. The motive remains unclear.

The incident came just two days after another deadly assault, when gunmen attacked a boat in El Oro province on the southwest coast, killing four people. Several others remain missing after explosives were launched at the vessel.

Ecuador has experienced a sharp surge in violence in recent months, particularly in the coastal provinces of El Oro, Guayas, Manabí, and Los Ríos — all currently under a state of emergency.

Officials attribute the bloodshed to turf wars between organised crime groups tied to transnational drug cartels, which have expanded operations along the Pacific, a key smuggling route to Central America, the United States, and Europe.

More than 4,600 people have been killed so far this year in the country of 18 million. Last year saw nearly 7,000 killings, a drop from over 8,000 in 2023 — the highest on record.