Monika Silva Koniuszek death sparks Polish and Ecuadorian investigations

Polish prosecutors in Olsztyn have opened a criminal investigation after the body of 33‑year‑old activist Monika Silva Koniuszek was found in her home in Montanita, Ecuador. The Polish prosecutor’s office, represented by spokesperson Daniel Brodowski, said the case is at a very early stage and that investigators will request evidence from Ecuadorian authorities.

Koniuszek, who had lived in Ecuador for more than a decade, was known for exposing corruption and environmental crimes, and she received threats in the months before her death. The Ecuadorian interior minister, John Reimberg, announced on X that the investigation would be conducted with “maximum speed and transparency,” after earlier suggestions by the ministry that the death might have been a suicide were questioned by local investigators and community members.

The European Union delegation in Ecuador expressed “deep concern” and called for a swift, thorough, independent inquiry. Local residents gathered in Manglaralto to demand justice for the foreign activist, highlighting her role in defending community interests and her two young daughters. Both Polish and Ecuadorian authorities are now cooperating to secure evidence and determine the circumstances of her death.