In the 2022 ranking of the most violent cities in the world, published by the Civil Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice of Mexico, Guayaquil was ranked 24th, 50th in 2021, and is expected to remain on the list before the end of 2023 which would be joined by Durán.

The label of a violent city affects the city in every way. Those who do not know her avoid her; Investors remove it from their options or think twice before buying it, and the fear caused by violent death is reconfirmed in its inhabitants. The impact on the authorities must be greater: the mere warning that another Ecuadorian city is included in this unfortunate ranking must cause immediate reactions.

And if that’s not reason enough, there’s more. On November 6, two students from the school, which is part of the Safe School program in Durán, were injured by gunshots. The origin of the accidentally activated weapon must be clarified, a separate point to be investigated. The problem is that there were weapons in the educational institution.

There are protocols for control and police action in educational units. What is wrong with something like this happening at a school in the Safe Schools program?

The answer must be given by those responsible for the security policy. It is true that violence does not stop overnight, but it is alarming that weapons are brought into a school, in a city that is classified as violent. Clashes are repeated in the penitentiary in Guayaquil, also with weapons. How to avoid being on a list you have no reason to be proud of.

By mid-October last year, Guayaquil recorded 1,830 violent deaths, with a homicide rate of 66.63 per 100,000 residents, while Durán had 293 cases, with a rate of 96.41 per 100,000 residents. Citizens are once again raising their voices demanding unity in the fight against crime. This requires everything. (OR)