Other MoA event in Ecuador on Fri 17th April 2026

Armed criminals violently assaulted a rideshare driver in Manta, Manabí, on April 17. The attack, captured by security cameras at 4:30 p.m., shows the moment when individuals posing as passengers subdued the driver and stole his belongings and the vehicle. This type of crime is not isolated. In Manta, the theft of rideshare vehicles has become a prelude to executions and attacks in other parts of the province. Criminals target these cars because they lack official taxi registrations, allowing them to move more easily through police checkpoints in Manabí, an area contested by local gangs aligned with drug trafficking organizations that use the city as a logistical hub. Although the video of the struggle is circulating on social media and shows the faces of the assailants, no arrests have been reported, nor has the vehicle been recovered. The Manta area continues to experience a wave of violence where vehicle theft is the driving force behind contract killings.