Ecuadorian journalist Tomás Alfonso Beltrán Conforme was killed in Manabí, prompting press groups to urge an investigation into whether his reporting played a role in his death.
Beltrán was shot outside his home in Calceta on Nov. 8 as he parked his vehicle, according to Fundamedios and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). He directed Calcetines, a local news outlet that publishes on Facebook and covers Bolívar canton.
RSF said the assailants had not been identified and the reason for the killing had not been determined. Fundamedios said police secured the scene and opened an investigation. RSF called on Ecuador’s prosecutor’s office to examine a possible link to Beltrán’s work, while the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged authorities to determine whether he was targeted for his reporting.
Fundamedios said Beltrán had reported threats dating to 2023 and that his vehicle was sprayed with a chemical substance in December of that year. RSF reported that Beltrán filed a complaint with prosecutors in April 2026 alleging illicit enrichment by Bolívar Mayor Ledy Muñoz. The allegation has not been established. RSF said the Mesa de Articulación para la Protección de Periodistas (MAPP) reported that threatening messages intensified after the complaint was leaked.
Fundamedios said Beltrán entered the Attorney General’s Office Victim and Witness Protection and Assistance System (SPAVT) in May 2025 under a basic plan that included periodic police visits. It said MAPP moved him to a safe area on April 15, 2026, and ended its accompaniment months before his death. CPJ, citing Fundamedios director César Ricaurte, separately reported that Beltrán had a police escort for 18 months and was relocated to Quito twice in 2026.
Two non-journalist collaborators who helped Calcetines with logistics were killed amid violence in Calceta and Junín on April 9, 2026, Fundamedios said. The organization warned that Beltrán’s death could reduce local reporting on public affairs and discourage other communicators from working in the area.
Fundamedios counted six journalists and communicators killed in Ecuador in 2025. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression separately cited at least six killings that could be linked to journalistic work and reported no significant progress in investigations or sanctions; the two counts use different criteria. Artur Romeu, director of RSF Latin America, said, “We helped him get to safety.” Fundamedios said Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office had not publicly commented on the case.
