Ecuador: Stabbing Spree at President’s Rally in Quinindé · Global Voices
Daniela Gallardo

On the night of Monday, February 4, 2013, in Quinindé, in Esmeraldas province, a man stabbed several people at a political rally by President Rafael Correa, causing the death of two citizens and injuring another four.
Through its Twitter account, the Ministry of Interior (@MinInteriorEC) posted the news:
@MinInteriorEC: ATENCIÓN. Lamentable incidente en Quinindé durante recorrido de Rafael Correa. Hay varios heridos y posibles fallecidos.
@MinInteriorEC: ATTENTION. Terrible incident in Quinindé during Rafael Correa visit. There are several injured and possibly casualties.
On thar same account, @MinInteriorEC, fueron publicados datos importantes sobre la tragedia:
@MinInteriorEC: ATENCIÓN. La @PoliciaEcuador ha detenido al sospechoso de perpetrar puñaladas a simpatizantes de Rafael Correa en Quinindé. En desarrollo
@MinInteriorEC: ATTENTION: @PoliciaEcuador [Police of Ecuador] holds in custody suspect of stabbing supporters of [President] Rafael Correa in Quinindé. Developing news.
President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa. Image by Presidencia de la República de Ecuador from Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).
President Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) informed he would return to Esmeraldas after the stabbing:
@MashiRafael: Tragedia en Quinindé! Desquiciado apuñala a 7 personas de AP mientras esperaban al Presidente. Dos fallecidos. Regresamos a Esmeraldas!
@MashiRafael: Tragedy in Quinindé! Driven mad man stabs seven citizens of [Alianza PAIS] AP as they were waiting for the President. Two casualties. We go back to Esmeraldas!
Local mainstream media, such as El Comercio [es], El Telégrafo [es] and El Universo [es] published the news; on La República [es] and La Hora [es] we can find a video by an amateur filmmaker on the attack citizens who where attending the rally. Actualidad RT [es] also echoed the news.
Rafael Correa (@MashiRafael) expressed his solidarity to the relatives:
@MashiRafael: Un abrazo solidario a las familias de las víctimas en Quinindé. El video del incidente es realmente escalofriante!
@MashiRafael: Supportive regards to the families of the Quinindé victims. The video from the incident is really outrageous!
Citizens expressed their concern after the event.
Miguel Chancay (@Miguicho34) asked to respect the victims of the stabbing:
@Miguicho34: Que pena ver o leer a tanta gente que aprovechen lo sucedido en Quíninde eso no es política, tengan un poquito de respeto a las victimas
@Miguicho34: So sorry to see or read about too many people that take advantage of what happened in Quíninde, that's not politics, a litte respect for the victims.
Arturo Barriga (@arturobarriga) criticizes the political manipulation of the tragedy:
@arturobarriga: No puedo creer que haya gente tan ruin que se aproveche del trágico hecho ocurrido n Quinindé para promocionar una candidatura o culpar a otra
@arturobarriga: I can't believe there are people so mean that take advantage of the tragic event that took place in Quinindé in order to promote a candidacy or blame another one.
Shirley Borja (@ShirleyBorja7) asks to be aware of the violence in the country:
@ShirleyBorja7: Frente al hecho de violencia en Quinindé no debemos dejarnos llevar por quienes provocan o incitan a la violencia verbal o física.
@ShirleyBorja7: After this violent action in Quinindé, we must not get swept up in by those who provoke or incite verbal or physic violence.
Ecuadorian citizens are concerned about civil security, and they expect that justice might be served after this terrible event.