A car bomb has exploded in Quito, Ecuador's capital, on Wednesday night. There were no reported injuries.
Police found remains of a slow-wick device and two gas cylinders.
En pleno centro de Quito han hecho explotar un coche bomba.
El país que nos deja Lasso. pic.twitter.com/2Oo5vTvbuZ
— Alma Mía La Única (@AlmaMiaEcu) August 31, 2023
Two criminals on a motorcycle allegedly poured flammable liquid on the car, according to security forces. So far, the authorities have arrested six suspects.
ACTUALIZACIÓN||
Tras las verificaciones preliminares se establece que individuos habrían dejado abandonado el vehículo estacionado, en las calles Robles y Amazonas, en #UIO, mismo que se habría encontrado con un artefacto de mecha lenta.
Posterior 2 ciudadanos que se… pic.twitter.com/NuoYdu1wyX
— Policía Ecuador (@PoliciaEcuador) August 31, 2023
All of the detainees — four of whom are Ecuadorians and one Colombian — have a history of extortion, robbery and murder, according to Gen. Pablo Ramirez. Three had been arrested and released just a fortnight earlier.
Ramirez asked the public to remain calm. He reported no injuries or damage to private property.
Conoce más detalles de lo ocurrido en la calle Robles y Amazonas, en el siguiente video:
👇🏻👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/9GcvSo2iQH
— Policía Ecuador (@PoliciaEcuador) August 31, 2023
Unconfirmed reports claim that there were more explosions in the capital, some claiming that a second car bomb had been detonated.
Después del atentado con ‘coche bomba’ reportado en el sector de La Mariscal, ciudadanos reportan más explosiones en el centro norte de la capital. Algunos vídeos circulan con imágenes de autos incendiándose en el sector de las universidades. pic.twitter.com/ou6lseNAIO
— BN (@BNPeriodismo) August 31, 2023
The blasts are yet another episode in Ecuador's escalating violence. In early August, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated while holding a campaign event north of Quito. Days later, Pedro Briones, a leader of the Citizen Revolution party, was also shot dead.
Security concerns reached such a point that in April President Guillermo Lasso allowed civilians to own and carry firearms, in addition to declaring a state of emergency in several parts of the country.
