Ecuadorian Legislator is Murdered During Circus Performance
On Sunday night, hitmen shot dead substitute legislator Cristhian Nieto while he was attending a circus performance in the city of Manta, in the province of Manabi.
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Videos posted on social networks show that the criminals fired without hesitation while dozens of families with their children lined up to enter the circus tent.
The shooting attack also caused the death of Nieto’s wife Nicole Burgos and left three people injured, one of whom is journalist Josue Suarez, who was broadcasting the entrance of spectators to the circus.
Popularly known as “Cristhian Rescues”, Nieto was a social activist who focused his work on helping homeless people with drug addiction.
Cristhian Nieto y su esposa organizaron la puesta de un circo con para la comunidad de Manta, y sin importar que había familias enteras haciendo fila, los asesinan sin piedad.
Daniel Noboa, no existe Tiktok que les devuelva a los niños a sus padres. pic.twitter.com/K7SeG9CJtn
— Alma Mía La Única (@AlmaMiaEcu)
June 3, 2024
The text reads, “Cristhian Nieto and his wife organized the setting up of a circus for the community of Manta. They murdered them without mercy and without caring that there were entire families lining up. Daniel Noboa, there is no TikTok that gives children their parents back.”
His social work led him towards political activity as part of the Citizen Revolution movement, which is led by former president Rafael Correa. In the early general elections of 2023, Nieto was elected as an alternate legislator for the province of Los Rios.
“Christian Nieto was also the CEO of Trix-Network Productions… He was the organizer and producer of the circus where the attack occurred,” the local newspaper Primicias recalled.
“Manabi experiences a wave of violence caused by organized crime. In the last month, several massacres have occurred in cantons located in the center and in the south of the province, where there is an obvious fight between the Los Lobos and Los Choneros gangs,” it added.
#FromTheSouth News Bits | Ecuador: President Daniel Noboa assured that the second phase of the “war” that he declared at the beginning of the year against organized crime gangs has begun, with the issuance of a new state of emergency that covers seven of the 24 provinces. pic.twitter.com/1XGcq526ul
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish)
May 24, 2024