Judge shot dead in Ecuador while heading to gym without her bodyguards
CBS News • • world
Key Points:
- Ecuadoran judge Lady Pachar was fatally shot while traveling in Machala during a state of emergency declared to combat organized crime, with police indicating she was targeted in retaliation for releasing gang members.
- The Judicial Council condemned the killing as a severe attack on justice and stated that intimidation and violence cannot hinder judicial work; since 2022, at least 16 judges or prosecutors have been killed in Ecuador.
- Ecuador faces significant challenges from drug trafficking, as around 70% of cocaine from Colombia and Peru transits through the country, prompting President Daniel Noboa to implement hardline anti-narcotics measures including military deployments and frequent states of emergency.
- Despite intensified efforts, including recent joint operations with U.S. forces targeting narco-terrorist groups like Los Choneros, violent deaths in Ecuador have increased, reaching a record 9,216 homicides last year.
- U.S. commandos have played advisory roles in Ecuadorian operations such as Lanza Marina, aimed at dismantling criminal hubs linked to maritime drug trafficking along Ecuador’s coast.