Three Dead in 72 Hours — Police Say Cuenca's Recent Violence Is Linked to Microtráfico Turf Wars

An Unusual Week for Cuenca

Cuenca has always been Ecuador's safe city — the place expats move to specifically because it isn't Guayaquil or Quito. That reputation took some hits this week.

Three people were killed in violent incidents across the city in less than 72 hours, with two more injured. Police say every case is connected to the same thing: microtráfico — small-scale drug dealing turf wars.

Here's what happened, where, and what it means.

The Incidents

Las Orquídeas — Woman Shot During a Wake

The most shocking incident occurred in the Las Orquídeas neighborhood, where a woman identified as Sandy Q. was shot 13 times while attending her own brother's wake. Two others were injured.

Security cameras recorded the attack. Police say two suspects carried it out — one entered the venue on foot while a second waited outside on a motorcycle. Officers recovered 10 ballistic indicators (shell casings) from the scene.

Despite having eyewitnesses — family members who were present — police said no one would formally identify the suspects, making immediate arrests impossible.

Near the Historic Center — Two Deaths in One Night

Two additional killings occurred near El Centro on a single Thursday night, in areas that El Mercurio's editorial board described as zones "commonly and unfortunately plagued by delinquency, including clandestine prostitution."

Las Peñas — Armed Attack

On Friday evening, March 6, an armed attack in the Las Peñas neighborhood (north of the city) left one person dead and two wounded. Residents reported hearing multiple gunshots before the attackers fled in a vehicle — which was later found burning nearby. The fire department responded to extinguish it while police collected evidence.

What Police Are Saying

Police Commander Ángel Esquivel was direct about the motive: these are territorial disputes over drug sales points.

"The problem arises when one person occupies a sales space and another group tries to take that location."

In other words: this is dealers fighting dealers over corners. It's not random. It's not targeting civilians. And it's not happening in the neighborhoods where most expats live.

But that doesn't mean it's irrelevant.

The Response

Police have launched joint operations with EMOV (the municipal transit authority) to set up motorcycle checkpoints in high-crime areas. The "two on a motorcycle" method — one driver, one shooter — is the signature tactic of sicario-style killings across Ecuador, and Cuenca is cracking down on:

• Unlicensed motorcycles
• Expired plates
• Riders without helmets
• Two-person riders in certain zones

These checkpoints are already active at tram stations including Terminal Terrestre, Las Orquídeas, and Miraflores.

The Editorial Response

El Mercurio — Cuenca's main newspaper — published an editorial arguing the city must not normalize this violence. The key line: "Authorities should not accustom the city to living with fear, to assassinations being part of daily life."

The editorial pointed to growing drug consumption and distribution as the root cause: "Demand grows, supply grows. The consequences are there."

What This Means for Expats

Let's be clear about what this is and isn't:

• This is targeted violence between criminal groups fighting over drug sales territory
• This is not random crime targeting residents, tourists, or expats
• The neighborhoods involved — Las Orquídeas, Las Peñas, and certain blocks near El Centro — are not where most expats live or spend time
• The "two on a motorcycle" tactic is the same pattern seen in Guayaquil and other coastal cities — it's new-ish for Cuenca and concerning as a trend

Practical advice:

• Avoid being out late at night in unfamiliar neighborhoods
• If you see or hear something unusual, don't investigate — call 911 or the police line
• The motorcycle checkpoints may cause minor delays if you ride — make sure your documents are current
• This doesn't change Cuenca's overall safety profile dramatically, but it's a reminder that the city isn't immune to Ecuador's broader security challenges

The honest take: Cuenca is still one of the safest cities in Ecuador by a wide margin. But "safest in Ecuador" and "nothing ever happens" are two different things, and this week was a reminder of that.

---

Sources: El Mercurio, El Mercurio, El Mercurio Editorial