They assassinated Efraín Ruales, a popular Ecuadorian television presenter | The State
File photo.
Photo:
JEWEL SAMAD / AFP / Getty Images
The popular Ecuadorian television presenter Efraín Ruales He was assassinated this Wednesday in the north of the port city of Guayaquil.
According to the police, Ruales received four bullet wounds while driving his truck.
The motives for the attack are unknown.
The authorities ruled out that it was a robbery, after verifying that all his belongings were in the car.
“I would say that the robbery issue would be dropped. We cannot say if there were threats or not, we are in the investigative process. The first hypothesis could not be said that it is a robbery ”, César Zapata, a commander of the National Police, told reporters.
After knowing the news of the death, the newspaper El Universo published a video from last year in which the presenter denounced having received a death threat for his allegations of corruption.
According to the BBC Mundo collaborator in Ecuador, Matías Zibell, the death of the communicator caused a commotion in the country, which is experiencing a climate of tension due to scandals associated with the coronavirus vaccine and the proximity of the elections.
“The assassination of Efraín Ruales further strains the social and political climate in Ecuador, which is preparing this February 7 to elect a new president. It makes the scenario even more complex a few days after electing a new president ”, he indicates.
According to Zibell, a story was initially released claiming that Ruales’ death occurred before he testified in court, but the authorities denied it.
Who was Efraín Ruales
According to the local press, Ruales, 36, was one of the most charismatic characters on a variety show on Ecuavisa television.
As an actor, he participated in numerous series and programs on local television, including Solteros Sin Compromiso, La panadería and ¡Así pasa !, entre o.
07:35 Approximate
Avenida Juan Tanca Marengo BCBG ambulance on site by person with no signs for gunshot impactThey report that it is the television presenter Efraín Ruales pic.twitter.com/hBdVQnYKJJ
– 🇪🇨 C.U.P.S. (# StayAtHome 🏠) (@Cupsfire_gye) January 27, 2021
In addition, as an actor, he was also one of the most influential figures on social networks in the country where he often published “comic recordings”.
The former mayor of Guayaquil, Jaime Nebot and the presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso, as well as figures from television and the artistic medium, expressed consternation at what happened.
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