Journalist Tomas Beltran murdered in Ecuador

Journalist Tomas Beltran, owner of the news website Calcetines, was murdered on Sunday evening in the Manabi province of Ecuador. According to reports from Fundamedios and Vistazo, unidentified gunmen ambushed the journalist outside his home, shooting him multiple times as he exited his vehicle.

Beltran had been under threat since April 2026, when he reported on alleged illicit enrichment involving Ledi Munoz, the mayor of the city of Bolivar. During that same period, two of his associates were also killed. Due to the high risk to his safety, Beltran had been enrolled in the Ecuadorian Prosecutor General's Witness and Victim Protection System since 2025.

The Inter American Press Association has condemned the killing, calling for an immediate and thorough investigation into the attack. The organization highlighted a persistent pattern of threats and intimidation against the journalist. The group Periodistas sin Cadenas noted that this incident occurs within a broader context of violence against the press in Ecuador, where six journalists were killed in 2025.