Guayaquil, Ecuador – Two suspects in the murder of Ecuadorian prosecutor César Suárez have been ordered to enter pre-trial detention as the Prosecutor’s Office continues its investigations into the assassination of the magistrate. Suárez had been investigating the armed takeover of a television channel before he was killed. Criminal judge ordered the pre-trial detention of the two suspects, Cristhian P.M. and Ángel A.B., who were arrested on Wednesday night, while the authorities continue to search for at least two other suspects.
Suárez, known for investigating corruption in hospitals during the pandemic prior to taking on the TV channel case, was gunned down on Wednesday afternoon while driving through a sector of the north of the port city of Guayaquil. Prior to his death, Suárez had interrogated 13 detainees, including two minors, believed to have stormed a TC Television studio and held its workers hostage, an incident attributed to the criminal gang Los Tiguerones.
Police believe the perpetrators belong to the criminal gang Chone Killers, designated by the Ecuadorian government as a terrorist group in the “internal armed conflict” declared against organized crime by President Daniel Noboa. The murder of Suárez broke the tense calm with which Ecuadorians tried to recover normality following a violent wave of explosions, kidnappings, and prison riots last week, attributed to organized crime gangs. During the raids, police also found a rifle, two pistols, and the vest used by the driver.
The death of Suárez has shaken the community and raised concerns about the safety of those involved in legal and investigative work. The prosecutors and law enforcement agencies are working diligently to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure the safety of other officials involved in similar cases. The investigation into Suárez’s murder continues as the community mourns the loss of a dedicated prosecutor.