Ecuador youngest mayor Brigitte Garcia and her comms director shot dead in Manabi
In a tragic turn of events, Ecuador mourns the loss of its youngest mayor as Brigitte Garcia, 27, and her communications director, Jairo Loor, were discovered shot dead in a rented car along a roadside in the province of Manabi.
Police are investigating the incident, suspecting the gunfire originated from within the vehicle itself. Garcia, a member of the Citizen Revolution Movement party led by former President Rafael Correa, fell victim to escalating violence attributed to drug trafficking in the nation.
Expressing shock and outrage, political figures like Luisa Gonzalez labeled Garcia’s death as an assassination, highlighting the growing insecurity within Ecuador.
“I’ve just found out they’ve assassinated our fellow mayor of San Vicente Brigitte Garcia,” Gonzalez said in a post. “I have no words, in shock, nobody is safe in Ecuador, NOBODY.”
This grim event follows a pattern of violence targeting political figures, including the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last August.
President Daniel Noboa, responding to the surge in violence, declared a state of emergency earlier and continues to combat criminal organizations deemed as terrorist entities.
In one instance, armed men invaded a television station during a live broadcast.
Noboa has also designated 22 criminal groups as terrorist organizations.
The news of Garcia’s untimely demise reverberated through the Municipality of San Vicente, where she was remembered for her unwavering commitment to improving her community. Tributes poured in, honoring her legacy and dedication to public service.
Garcia’s recent efforts, such as advancing a water project for her constituents, underscored her vision for a brighter future despite the challenges faced.
In one of her latest posts, she let her constituents know she met with a bank to go over the phases of a water project to bring water to their canton.
She wrote “Together, we build a brighter future for our community,”
