Noboa blames illegal mining mafias for recent explosions
Thursday, October 16th 2025 – 10:00 UTC
Noboa insisted that these attacks sought to destabilize his government
Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa said Wednesday that illegal mining mafias were behind the car bomb attack in Guayaquil and two subsequent explosions. He claimed these actions were in retaliation against the government’s measures in the conflict-ridden Imbabura province.
The Tuesday night car bomb outside the Mall del Sol shopping center in Guayaquil resulted in one death and between 20 and 30 injuries. Guayaquil Mayor Aquiles Álvarez denounced that an active terrorist structure was to be held accountable.
Two other explosions were reported on Wednesday: One on the Churute bridge (Guayas province), where the Prosecutor’s Office opened a terrorism investigation, and the other on the Mollopongo bridge (Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road), where gas cylinders were used, injuring one person and damaging at least four buses.
Noboa stated that these coordinated attacks are part of a criminal plan to destabilize his government and prevent us from doing things right. He warned that the criminals involved would be jailed and vowed not to back down.
The attacks coincide with an indefinite national strike called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie) against the elimination of diesel subsidies, adding to the nation’s high tensions.
The president strongly questioned accusations from opponents, including former President Rafael Correa, who suggested the Guayaquil attack was a self-inflicted attack by the government. Noboa instead directed scrutiny toward local authorities allegedly linked to major criminal gangs.
