A pickup truck exploded on a busy commercial street in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on the evening of October 14, leaving one person dead and two others injured. Authorities have described the explosion as an intentional act.

 

Maj. Jorge Montanero of the Guayaquil Fire Department told local broadcaster Ecuavisa that the person killed was a taxi driver who happened to be nearby. He added that security forces are inspecting all vehicles in the area as part of precautionary measures.

 

"We're evacuating the entire building as a precaution," Montanero said. When asked whether it might have been a car bomb, he replied that investigators were still determining the cause, noting, "We don't know yet, but a normal car doesn't explode like that."

 

Ecuador has seen several vehicleexplosions in recent years amid growing violence linked to organized crime. In 2023, multiple car bombings occurred following the assassination of a presidential candidate. Earlier that year, a vehicle detonated near Ecuador's largest prison on the outskirts of Guayaquil, killing a prison guard. Other explosions were reported in Quito, though they caused limited damage and no deaths.

 

Guayas province governor Humberto Plaza, whose jurisdiction includes Guayaquil, condemned the latest explosion as "an act of terrorism" and vowed accountability. "We will find them, and they will face justice for terrorism," Plaza stated.