A British man was lynched and burned alive by a mob in Ecuador after being accused of murdering a local resident, according to The Sun. The incident occurred in the remote village of Playas de Cuyabeno, located within the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in Ecuador's Amazon region, near the borders with Colombia and Peru.
The unnamed British national was accused of shooting a local man, Rodrigo Chavez, during a dispute on April 20, which coincided with a celebration of the Kichwa indigenous community. Following the alleged shooting, local residents detained the British man and handed him over to the police on suspicion of murder.
At around 12:30 p.m., six hours after his arrest, a mob stormed the police station, forcibly removed the British man, identified in some reports as Hann Brithsh (though this name has not been confirmed), and set him on fire in the street, while police officers reportedly refrained from intervening to avoid harm to themselves and further damage to state property, according to The Sun.
Local newspaper Ecuavisa explained that Playas de Cuyabeno is usually accessed by river, specifically along the Aguarico River, making it a remote and difficult-to-access area. The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, where the incident took place, is the second largest among Ecuador's 56 national parks and protected areas and is known for its ecotourism activities focused on exploring Amazonian wildlife.
The victim died on the spot from the severity of his burns, and his body was subsequently covered with a white sheet as onlookers gathered, according to reports by ProTV News.
Local media reported that the police had placed the suspect in preventive detention at the local station for his protection, awaiting reinforcements to transfer him to Lago Agrio. However, reinforcements were delayed due to the area's remote location and difficult access.
Police in the region did not issue an official statement regarding the murder, as they were still gathering information about the case, according to Newsbomb. It is currently unknown if any arrests have been made following the murder of the British national or whether those involved in the lynching have been apprehended.
The lynching has raised concerns about security in regions frequented by tourists. The Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve is a popular ecotourism area, offering excursions to observe Amazonian pink dolphins, jaguars, three-toed sloths, anacondas, caimans, turtles, iguanas, macaw parrots, toucans, and monkeys. Tours in the region start at prices of approximately 200 British pounds.
In rural areas of Ecuador, especially in regions inhabited by indigenous communities, the inadequacy of law enforcement forces and the public sometimes applying their own justice has been seen before, according to Haberler. This incident has brought security concerns in the region back to the forefront.
Last year, local authorities declared a state of emergency after 159 people were killed in Sucumbíos province as a result of violent crimes, RBC reported. According to the police, most of these murders are related to gangs fighting for territory. The number of violent incidents has sharply increased in the province recently.
The British Foreign Office did not comment on the incident. The identity of the British man has not been officially released, and the circumstances surrounding both the alleged murder of Rodrigo Chavez and the subsequent lynching remain under investigation.