Rising violent crime reported in Pisco and Catamayo

Rising levels of violent crime and insecurity are being reported in Pisco, Peru, and Catamayo, Ecuador.

In the San Clemente district of Pisco, 31-year-old George Andrés Matute Gamarra, known as ‘El Gordo Kito’, was shot and killed inside a barbershop. A 24-year-old worker, Yair Sebastián León Solís, was also wounded in the attack. Authorities are investigating the homicide, noting that Matute Gamarra had recently been released from prison in March 2026 after serving a sentence for aggravated homicide. Police have detained two suspects, aged 17 and 18, and seized a vehicle used in the crime.

In Catamayo, Ecuador, local residents are expressing alarm following six deaths linked to armed attacks in 2026. A recent shooting in the Miravalle sector left two men wounded. Community members and local professionals have called for increased police presence, permanent operations in high-conflict areas, and stricter controls in ‘tolerance zones’ to combat criminal groups attempting to establish control over the region for drug trafficking.