Ecuador: Police rescue German national after May 9 kidnapping in Guayaquil

Event

Police rescued a German national kidnapped by unknown assailants in the Nueva Prosperina district in north-east Guayaquil early May 9. The victim was traveling in a vehicle at approximately 05:00 along Casuarina Avenue when criminals in two other vehicles blocked his way and seized him near the Entrada de la Ocho store. The kidnappers took him to a private residence in the San Ignacio commune and demanded a ransom of USD100,000 from his wife. Police found and rescued the victim later the same day, but did not make any arrests as the assailants were not at the scene at the time.

Context

Ecuador has seen a dramatic increase in violent crime over recent months; much of this is related to the presence of Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO's). Guayaquil in particular has been affected by numerous shootings and kidnappings. Guayaquil is currently under a state of emergency, with authorities being granted increased powers to conducts searches and arrests. A curfew is in effect between 01:00 and 05:00 daily.