Israel Gómez left Guayaquil on November 24. He left for Colombia, crossed the dangerous jungle of Darien and entered Central America. He was able to advance to Mexico, where he was assassinated on November 9. He made his journey alone.

The attack took place in Oaxaca, outside a supermarket. The killers shot at a motorcycle taxi in which Gómez was riding with three other migrants, wounding them.

The Ecuadorian disappeared in the Darién Gap, a person traveling with his group called his mother to tell her that he had died

Gómez lived in free union with the mother of his daughter, who was 1 month old. According to the 1800 Migrant Organization, which published the case, he decided to leave the country for the United States for economic reasons.

“We went to the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask for help for the repatriation of the body and they told us that they cannot help us because it is already the end of the year, that there is no budget, that it process can take more than two months. months and that it was better for us. We take care of the repatriation of our family member ourselves. They are completely insensitive, they gave us a contact number of a funeral home and now we need help to bring the body,” said Eugenia Franco, sister-in-law of the deceased, in a statement released by the 1800 migrant.

So far in 2023, nearly 55,000 Ecuadorians have crossed the Darien jungle on their way to the United States, according to Panamanian authorities. These people have been victims of extortion, robberies and other forms of violence during their journey, even outside the jungle: Gómez’s alleged killers are said to be two coyoteros who are part of the criminal organizations that control the immigration trade in Mexico. (JO)

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