Violent attacks target transport workers in Ecuador and Peru

Two separate violent crimes targeting transport workers have been reported in Ecuador and Peru.

In Ecuador, a 25-year-old taxi driver from the American Park Cooperative was intercepted by armed individuals while traveling from Ambato toward Pelileo. The assailants, using knives and firearms, forced the driver to take alternate routes before striking him in the head with a weapon. The driver was abandoned near an irrigation canal in Chiquicha Chico and subsequently taken to a hospital in Pelileo for medical attention. Police have launched a search operation to locate the stolen vehicle and the suspects.

In Peru, a driver of a public transport vehicle on the Lima-Callao route was shot during an attack in the Cercado de Lima. The incident occurred while the driver and a collector were attempting to fix a mechanical failure on the vehicle. Two individuals on a motorcycle opened fire, wounding the driver, who was rushed to the Arzobispo Loayza Hospital. Authorities are investigating the attack as a potential case of extortion, commonly known as ‘cupos’, and are reviewing security footage to identify the perpetrators.