Six people were killed in two separate armed attacks in the coastal city of Manta, Ecuador, on the night of April 25, 2026.
The first incident occurred in the Nueva Esperanza neighborhood, where assailants in a vehicle opened fire on a gathering, killing three people—including a 14-year-old minor—and injuring three others.
Shortly afterward, a second attack took place in the La Florita area, near a health sub-center, resulting in the deaths of three men identified as Leonardo Gómez, 33; Bryan Espinoza, 29; and Luiggi Catagua, 31.
According to preliminary reports, the victims in La Florita were close friends. Authorities noted that Catagua’s family had previously been affected by violence, with a brother killed about a year earlier and a cousin murdered months prior.
Emergency responders transported the wounded to local medical facilities, including the Rafael Rodríguez Hospital and the IESS, but all three succumbed to their injuries.
National Police units arrived at both scenes to collect evidence, with forensic and legal medicine teams conducting investigations. No arrests have been reported as of yet.
The attacks brought the total number of homicides in the Manta, Montecristi, and Jaramijó district to 140 for the year.
Ecuador has been under a state of “internal armed conflict” since 2024, declared by President Daniel Noboa to combat criminal groups labeled as terrorists by the government. Despite this measure, 2025 ended with over 9,300 homicides nationwide, a national record.
Manabí province, where Manta is located, is among nine regions set to implement a nighttime curfew from May 3 to May 18, 2026, in response to the escalating violence.
