22 Killed in Gang Violence in Ecuador's Guayaquil

President Noboa grants blanket pardons to security forces as the country battles escalating drug cartel violence ahead of a presidential runoff election.

Clashes between rival factions of the Los Tiguerones gang in Guayaquil left 22 dead and several others injured, with violence erupting over territorial disputes.
Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa preemptively pardoned security forces operating in the area, urging them to act decisively without fear of reprisal.
Authorities conducted raids in response, arresting 14 individuals and seizing weapons and ammunition in the Nueva Prosperina neighborhood.
Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, has become a hotspot for cartel-related violence as the country grapples with surging homicide rates linked to the drug trade.
The violence occurs as Noboa campaigns for re-election, emphasizing a hardline approach to combating cartels, while his opponent, Luisa Gonzalez, criticizes human rights abuses tied to these efforts.