Steven Aguirre Giler was shot in a failed kidnapping attempt as a growing number of rural health workers are targeted by extortionists.
Steven Aguirre Giler was shot in a failed kidnapping attempt as a growing number of rural health workers are targeted by extortionistsJose Aguirre Giler never imagined his brother’s work as a doctor in a rural Ecuadorian town would end in kidnapping attempts and fatal gunfire. His youngest brother, Steven, had a bright future ahead of him after graduating from medical school in 2023 and starting a government-mandated year of service at a health centre in Guayas, a south-western province racked by drug gang violence. “He helped out anyone who needed help,” says Jose.The first kidnapping attempt was in November 2023 as Steven was on his way to work, according to the Ministry of Public Health. His brother says the attack went awry when the assailants’ car was damaged, and Steven escaped. After that came anonymous threats demanding money. Continue reading...
Steven Aguirre Giler was shot in a failed kidnapping attempt as a growing number of rural health workers are targeted by extortionists.