“The early morning of Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026, at around 12:30 a.m., René Manuel Cobos Merchán, 49, was killed in the Tres Postes area of the rural parish of Yaguachi, in Guayas province.
According to accounts from family members reported by news organizations, minutes earlier a group of approximately six armed and masked men, wearing vests and clothing similar to those used by security forces, arrived in the area in two pickup trucks. They first entered a neighbor’s home. José Manuel Vélez Vera, 29, was shot and killed. Residents believe the attackers went to the wrong address.
According to the same account, the attackers then went to Cobos’ home, where they also shot and killed him.
[…]
The National Police reported that Cobos had received threats before the fatal attack. There are differing accounts regarding the attackers’ identities: one person interviewed by the press said some of the men identified themselves as police officers, while another witness described them as wearing military-style vests and clothing.
René Cobos worked as a journalistic contributor for foreign correspondents and international media outlets covering organized crime in Ecuador, facilitating contacts, logistics and interviews, including access to criminal organizations.
According to information provided by people close to the victim, René Cobos may have worked with various national and international media outlets on security-related issues in Ecuador. Fundamedios does not have sufficient evidence to state with certainty that the crime was connected to Cobos’ work as a fixer.
Cobos’ killing occurred amid expanding violence associated with organized crime and poses a specific risk to those who facilitate the work of the press through the pre-production process, including establishing contacts, arranging logistics and mediating with high-risk sources.”
Read the full article (in Spanish)
This story was translated with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Alejandro Martínez-Cabrera
