Valeria Buendia, a 36-year-old teacher, recalled weekly visits to Panama Street with friends before the area became empty and dangerous after dark.
Ecuador has recorded over 5,200 homicides so far this year, making it the most dangerous country in South America according to government statistics.
Nightlife has migrated to luxurious suburban neighborhoods like Samborondon, where rifle-wielding guards protect wealthy patrons passing through metal detectors.
Remaining bar owners face relentless extortion demands that gradually increase until businesses become unsustainable.
Locals report that most bars now pay $300 monthly protection money, with larger venues facing demands up to $5,000, often transferred through banking systems.
A hospitality businessman with 25 years of experience recalled receiving extortion messages mentioning his family in 2021, prompting him to close his establishment without reporting to authorities.
Ernesto Vasquez of the city’s nightclub association estimates that 50% of hundreds of bars in central and southern Guayaquil have permanently closed.
Drug gangs continue growing more emboldened despite President Daniel Noboa’s military confrontation strategy, transforming once-bustling entertainment districts into ghost towns after dark. – AFP
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