
Ecuador is shocked by the murder of Landy Párraga, the former Miss Mesoamérica Ecuador. On April 28th, the 23-year-old woman was shot several times by an unidentified man. This occurred inside a restaurant in Quevedo and was captured on video by the establishment’s security team. The footage shows Párraga standing at her table with her partner José Luis Betancourt, seemingly preparing to leave. Both watch as two individuals enter the restaurant, one of them armed. In response, they crouch down in defense, but the armed individual approaches Párraga directly and shoots her repeatedly on the ground.
Ecuadorian authorities are conducting an investigation into the case, but have not confirmed any details yet. The identities of the individuals involved are unknown, and it’s unclear if there’s an organization behind the murder. Speculation has arisen regarding ties between Párraga and the drug trafficker Leandro Norero. This speculation is based on chats released by the prosecution regarding the “Metastasis” case in December 2023.
The chats didn’t show direct communication between Norero and Párraga, but her name was mentioned. The drug trafficker expressed concern to Helive Angulo, his administrator, because Párraga’s name appeared in a prosecution investigation. This investigation involved money laundering and linked her to the case, something Norero wanted to avoid. According to the prosecution, he paid to have her association with the case eliminated, a fact confirmed by Angulo himself during a hearing in March 2024.