Marcelo Molina56 years old, husband of the assemblywoman Alexandra Arce, He was murdered last Sunday by gunmen. The homicide occurred in Duranone of the most violent cities in the country and from which Arce She was mayor driven by Correism.
The tragedy would have happened in front of his family. However, the details are not yet precise. Former Correismo official José Serrano published in Molina: “They murdered him in his home, in the presence of his wife, an assembly member of Ecuador, and in the presence of his children.”. Nevertheless, Glance published that: “According to a police report, people who were at the scene of the crime reported that two men on foot shot at the victim when he was about to enter a home.”.
Although Molina He was transferred to a health center, upon arrival only death could be declared, since the attack was devastating. According to police information, collected by Glancethe man received: “three gunshot wounds to the head, three to the right arm, one to the abdomen and one to the thorax”, that is eight in total.
The Correísta Citizen Revolution party, to which Arce belongs, published a note of regret for Molina’s murder: “His violent departure reminds us of the insecurity that Ecuador is experiencing,” the message reads. The official account of the National Assembly also did the same.
For its part, the Public Ministry announced the start of a ex officio investigation to clarify the motive and find those responsible for the murder: “The removal of the body and the collection of evidence were arranged,” the institution reported on its social networks.
Arce, a member of the Citizen Revolution, has held several elected political positions. Her political career began in the Municipality of Durán, as a councilor in 2009. In the 2013 legislative elections, Arce was elected assemblywoman for district 3 of the province of Guayas, representing Alianza PAIS, then Rafael Correa’s party. In November of the same year, the politician resigned from her position to run as a candidate for mayor of Durán in the 2014 sectional elections, where she defeated the then mayor Dalton Narváez, of the Social Christian party.
The current assembly member, in 2019, wanted to be re-elected as mayor, but was unable to do so. In the 2021 legislative elections, she was again elected legislator for district 3 of Guayas, this time under the UNES alliance, also promoted by Correismo.
At the moment, The Prosecutor’s Office investigates Arce and 17 other people for alleged embezzlement related to contracts for the El Chobo Drinking Water Conduction System, which would have generated a loss of USD 40 million. From Correismo – and following its argumentative speech – it has been pointed out that the judicial process in which Arce is linked would be an example of political persecution by prosecutor Diana Salazar and an alleged politicization of justice under the government of Daniel Noboa.
Arce’s name appeared mentioned in the chats of the Metastasis case. In a conversation between the murdered drug trafficker Leandro Norero and his operator Xavier Jordán, support for “la Arce, la de Durán” was indicated. However, the Correísta policy has denied any link with the Norero criminal structure.
In Durán, located 10 kilometers from Guayaquil, mafias operate, such as those linked to drug trafficking as well as those that dominate the control of water, which is distributed through tankers. Under this context, The city has been abandoned for almost 40 years: “The reality of Durán exceeds the limits of precariousness. According to the Water Regulation and Control Agency (ARCA), 70% of the city does not have drinking water networks and 78% does not have sewage. The streets flood with the rain, the latrines overflow; and, in these conditions, each family needs a minimum of USD 60 monthly to supply the water carried by the tankers.”, is described in a research by No Man’s Land, Journalists Without Chains, Plan V, The Space Bar, Digital Management and Ecuador Check.
Now, the city is considered Ecuador’s cocaine warehouse and, after the death of Ben 10, leader of the Chone Killers, who operate in that jurisdiction, violent events are expected to increase.
