SANTO DOMINGO, ECUADOR – AUGUST 17, 2025 In the early hours, a massacre occurred in a billiard hall in Santo Domingo. A group of masked attackers first opened fire on two men standing outside the entrance, then stormed inside and indiscriminately shot at all the patrons. The incident left seven people dead and countless injured. Before the police arrived, the attackers had already fled.
Ecuador has recently experienced a sharp rise in violence linked to gang battles over control of drug trafficking and smuggling routes. This massacre is part of a series of similar attacks that have taken place in Ecuador, including in July 2025. For example, in the city of Playas, nine people were shot dead in a billiard hall in a similar attack, and a week later in El Empalme, 17 people were killed in attacks on bars.
Bars and billiard halls are often locations where gangs collect protection money or own the establishments to launder drug money. Gangs therefore attack such places even though it means killing innocent civilians. Their aim is to spread fear and show that they are willing to eliminate anyone who stands in their way. By definition, this can be considered terrorism.
In response to the attack, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared the massacre an internal armed conflict and launched an extensive campaign against organized crime. Special operations will be conducted in crisis provinces, and the prison system will be strengthened.
