Weeks after a massacre left six dead, including a toddler, Ecuador faced another crisis as five human heads were found severed and strung from ropes at a tourist beach on Sunday.
Citing police authorities, local media reported that the five heads were found hanging from ropes on a beach in Puerto Lopez, Manabi.
Images of the bloody scene have taken over social media by storm. In the viral pictures, a sign can be seen next to the heads, which the police have attributed as a warning to fishermen in the area.
“The town belongs to us. Keep robbing fishermen and demanding vaccine cards, we already have you identified,” read the sign, as per AFP. The message was reportedly left as a threat to gang members who extort protection payments known as “vaccine cards”.
While the scene is still being investigated, police have stated that the severe crime may have occurred due to a conflict between criminal groups in the area.
This incident also comes a week after at least six people were killed, including a child, after multiple gunmen opened fire at the Puerto Lopez beach. Days after this, another shooting occurred at the port city of Manta during New Year’s eve celebrations, which killed another six people, including a minor.
The recent attacks also come amid a dispute for territory and control of drug-trafficking routes across the Manabi province, where Puerto Lopez is located.
Ecuador sees wave of gang violence
The Latin American country has been engulfed in a wave of violence for over four years it became a hub for the storage and distribution of drugs through Colombia and Peru.
As the country continues to reel from the recent attacks, in 2025, Ecuador saw over 9,000 homicides, setting a new record as the most violent year since 2023.
In October 2025, Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa also survived an attack at his motorcade by angry protestors. The attack, which has been labelled as an assassination attempt, took place amid growing unrest over rural policies and Noboa’s hardline politics.