Social organizations in Ecuador have questioned the official version of the death of Polish activist Monica Martyna Koniuszek, known as Monika Silva, and maintain that it was a murder and not a suicide, as the Ministry of the Interior has stated.
"Monika warned that her life was being threatened," denounced the executive director of the Ecuadorian Center for the Promotion and Action of Women (CEPAM), Lita Martínez, at a press conference.
CEPAM and the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDH) have urged the authorities not to rule out that the case could fit into a possible femicide or that Koniuszek's activism, as well as the complaints she filed in the months prior to her death, could be considered a possible motive for the crime.
The activist was found lifeless on the afternoon of Monday, June 8, at her home, located in the Montañita commune, in the province of Santa Elena. The woman, 41 years old, mother of two daughters and owner of a hostel in the El Tigrillo sector, was found in one of the rooms of the establishment.
According to police information, the death would have occurred several hours before the body was found, and no firearms or projectiles were found at the scene. The official report also details that the body presented a furrow at the neck level.
Koniuszek was a recognized community activist who promoted social projects and participated in various initiatives of public interest in the province of Santa Elena. She was also critical of the management of local administrations in the area.