Journalist Tomás Beltrán was killed by armed assailants outside his home in Manabí Province, according to press freedom organisation Fundamedios.
Gunmen reportedly ambushed Beltrán on Sunday night and fired multiple shots at him as he got out of his vehicle, according to a report by Vistazo.
Beltrán, who owned the news website Calcetines, had received death threats in April after accusing Ledy Muñoz, the mayor of Bolívar, of illicit enrichment.
During the same period, two of the journalist's associates were also killed.
Calls for full investigation
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) condemned the killing and called for an "immediate and thorough investigation" to identify those responsible.
The organisation also highlighted what it described as a history of threats and intimidation against Beltrán.
Since 2025, Beltrán had been enrolled in the Ecuador Attorney General's Victim and Witness Protection System.
According to the organisation Periodistas sin Cadenas (Journalists Without Chains), six journalists were killed in Ecuador during 2025.
Source: CNA
