Eight dismembered bodies found in illegal Ecuador mine, say police

Ecuadorian authorities unearthed eight dismembered bodies buried in two mass graves on Sunday at an illegal mine in the southern province of Azuay, currently under a state of emergency. The bodies, discovered in the municipality of Pucara, displayed signs of gruesome injuries - dismemberment and decapitation, inflicted with a machete.

Police chief Pablo Inga revealed that the hands of the victims were bound and the bodies had been buried approximately two meters deep. Preliminary findings indicated the victims had been interred for about two days, though their identities remain unconfirmed. The mine lacked proper operating permits, and officers only reached the secluded area after receiving reports of gunfire.

The distressing discovery came after several locals reported their relatives missing. Ecuador's transformation from a relatively safe nation to a hub for international cocaine trafficking over recent years has been marked by a surge in violence, with homicide rates reaching nearly 51 per 100,000 people last year. The province of Azuay, where the incident occurred, has been under state of emergency since June due to escalating armed conflict.

President Daniel Noboa, who assumed office in 2023, has frequently resorted to declaring states of emergency to tackle gang-related crimes, although human rights groups have raised concerns over potential abuses by security forces.