Ecuadorian authorities have located eight corpses with evident signs of dismemberment and decapitation in a remote mining area of the canton of Pucará, in the south of the country, according to sources from the Police communicated this Sunday.
Pablo Inga, a member of the National Police, has explained to the media that "They were inside two graves. Each grave had four bodies buried about two meters deep," and added that, according to the initial investigations, the bodies "do not have traces of projectile impact from a firearm," although they do present injuries compatible with the use of a bladed weapon, such as a machete.
The deceased, seven men and one woman, were found "mutilated, bound, and decapitated" in a camp located in a mountainous area of very difficult access, near the Huasipamba sector, which Inga has directly linked to irregular extractive activities.
"It is illegal mining that is taking place in the area," the agent has stated, emphasizing that "the land has no permits for either exploration or mining exploitation," which reinforces the hypothesis that the site is being used for clandestine operations.
According to the forensic team dispatched to the discovery site, the evidence suggests that the deaths may have occurred about 48 hours ago. Inga has also pointed out that the testimonies collected indicate that the victims had been reported missing since last Thursday.
Authorities have opened an investigation to clarify what happened and determine the exact circumstances of this multiple crime, in which the possible connection with two vehicles found completely burned in the vicinity of the camp is also being investigated.