Since the night of Tuesday the 17th, the area around the Vilcabamba Community Police Unit (UPC) has been fenced off with metal structures. This measure taken by police personnel has generated an atmosphere of fear among merchants and residents of the area.
Citizens say that the action to shield the UPC was after the arrest of four individuals and the seizure of weapons and controlled substances over the weekend.
Metal fences are placed as a protection measure in Manta UVC
According to the residents of the sector, there is concern that the alleged criminals are linked to a criminal organization and they fear reprisals.
Andrea, who has a store near the police unit, said that there is fear of an attack or threats.
Fernando, a resident of the parish, acknowledged that the entire town is frightened because it is the first time that the vicinity of the UPC has been observed to be protected in this way. According to neighbors, the rumor spread that the fences were put up due to alleged threats from a criminal gang.
“That had not been heard before in Vilcabamba,” said another resident. She also reported that in recent months there have been reports of robberies and assaults, especially on the outskirts of town.
UPC of the Bellavista sector, in the north of Guayaquil, was attacked at dawn on Monday 7
Luis Martínez, chief of the Vilcabamba circuit of the National Police, clarified that the fence that was placed obeys “the alerts that exist at the country level and because of the security measures that are being taken in all the UPCs of the Loja District and throughout Ecuador to avoid any kind of attack”.
He explained that in the case of the UPC in Vilcabamba, certain vulnerabilities were detected, so security was reinforced by placing the fences.
Martínez also clarified that he is unaware of any official information regarding threats. The head of the Vilcabamba circuit said that they work normally with security measures and following the corresponding protocols as they do in the country. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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