Two explosions struck bridges in Ecuador on Wednesday, authorities said, blaming a major local criminal gang and Colombian ex-FARC dissidents for the attacks. No casualties were reported, but roads remain closed due to structural damage.
Interior Minister John Reimberg accused the Los Lobos gang, designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States, and dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) of orchestrating the blasts. He linked the attacks to recent security operations that dismantled illegal mining in northern Ecuador and detained ex-FARC members.
One explosion damaged a bridge in Naranjal, Guayas province, about 290km southwest of Quito. Another hit a bridge connecting Azuay and El Oro provinces in the south, causing a possible collapse, according to emergency services. Local images showed rubble and shattered windows on two buses.
The explosions came less than 24 hours after a pickup truck exploded in a busy commercial area of Guayaquil on Tuesday night, killing one person and wounding two others, and damaging a shopping mall and nearby buildings.
The US State Department condemned the attacks as “brazen terrorist acts”. Ecuador’s government offered a reward for information leading to arrests. The violence is part of a surge in crime linked to drug trafficking, as President Daniel Noboa vowed not to back down.
