Salinas Hit by Second Armed Attack in Under 15 Days — Tourism Zone on Edge

Two Attacks in Two Weeks

Ecuador's most iconic beach resort has had a difficult start to 2026. Per Expreso, "Dos hechos violentos en menos de 15 días han encendido las alertas" — two violent incidents in less than 15 days have put Salinas on edge.

The most recent: a Sunday attack along Salinas's malecón (the oceanfront boardwalk) that left seven people wounded. Per Colonel Jorge Hadatti Buchelli, "los siete heridos del último ataque arribaron desde Guayaquil" — the seven wounded victims were transported from Salinas to Guayaquil for treatment.

The Canton's 2026 Numbers

Per the article: "13 asesinatos se han registrado este 2026 en el cantón; dos en el malecón." Thirteen homicides so far this year in the Salinas canton, including two directly on the malecón. For context, Salinas — population roughly 70,000 plus a heavy tourist-season inflow — normally runs with homicide numbers well below that kind of pace.

Where the Attacks Happened

Two specific zones are named:

• The Malecón — the main boardwalk along the waterfront that defines Salinas as a destination.
• The Corredor Gastronómico — the restaurant and dining strip that pulls the bulk of the resort town's tourism foot traffic.

Neither of these is a peripheral or marginal zone. Both are the postcard parts of Salinas that define the city's identity as a beach destination.

The Official Response

• Governor Xavier Negrete (Santa Elena province): "Se ha informado ya al ministro del Interior, John Reimberg" — meaning the federal interior minister has been formally notified and the province is pushing for a response from Quito.
• Colonel Hadatti (police): "Existe ya una línea de investigación en curso" — there's a line of investigation underway, though no operational details have been made public.

Residents Speaking Out

Two Salinas residents quoted in Expreso:

• Irma Palacios: "No es la seguridad que merecemos." ("This isn't the security we deserve.")
• Paola Coppel: "Hay desorden y nadie responde." ("There's disorder and no one is responding.")

The Expreso piece frames the story around a community that feels the federal and provincial response has been thin relative to what's happening on the ground.

What This Means for Expats

If you are an expat living in Salinas or one of the coastal Santa Elena communities — or if you're part of the sizable retiree population drawn to the Guayaquil–Salinas corridor — this story matters:

• The malecón and gastronomic corridor are the two zones being specifically flagged. These are the parts of Salinas where most visitors spend their evenings. If you live locally, stay situationally aware; if you're visiting, prefer earlier dining and grouped travel rather than walking alone late at night.
• The canton's homicide count is already above its normal annual baseline. Thirteen killings by mid-April in a small coastal canton is not the historical Salinas pattern. Treat this as a real trend, not a blip.
• Provincial and federal authorities are now looped in. That means more visible police presence is probable in the coming weeks — but the pattern in Ecuador has been reactive rather than proactive. Don't count on resource allocation fixing this before summer tourism season.
• If you're considering buying in Salinas, the current violence spike will affect short-term rental demand and may soften asking prices on waterfront properties. Whether that's a buying opportunity or a warning sign depends on how the next 90 days unfold.
• Expect this to escalate into a national security conversation. Salinas is visible, touristic, and politically sensitive. Two high-profile attacks on the malecón within 15 days will get federal attention in a way that similar incidents in smaller cantons would not.

Emergency contact in Ecuador: 911.

Source: Expreso