Deadly Incident at Quininde leaves pain on family and friends of victims

Jose Aragon Ulpiano Micolta, 40, arrived wearing a distinctive green jersey of the Alianza PAIS movement and a flag, at 17:00 on last Monday, to the corner of the 9 de Octubre and Manuel Alman streets, where the candidate-president, Rafael Correa, was expected.

Jose Aragon Ulpiano Micolta

Witnesses who identify him with the nickname “Cuco” say he was drunk and that he began getting in trouble since early hours; besides they also ensure that the individual consumed psychotropic substances.

At 19:00, the antisocial returned to the corner of the concentration and this time had an altercation with a subject who was nicknamed “Colombian“.

Some members of the group asked the police to control the situation, and all was quiet until 20:35 when he reappeared in the same place armed with a knife and attacked people at random, leaving two dead and five wounded.

Upon escape, Micolta, full of bumps and bruises inflicted by AP militants, was captured by the police and taken to the Cantonal Command Center to be later taken to the Judicial Police of Pichincha, where the Fourth Criminal Judge of Esmeraldas Adrian Morales Bonilla, performed the arraignment hearing and ordered his transfer to the Provisional Detention Center.

Richard Garcia, a journalist from Radio Magia, local media, was near the stage when “Cuco” appeared. “It was terrifying, he started throwing stabs at will, raised his arm and stabbed everyone and did not care if the person was male or female, the participants ran and then tried to hit him, but he escaped.”

Relatives of victims

Yesterday morning, Correa visited the families of those who died and empathized with them.

Rafael Correa went to visit the families of the victims

In the neighborhood Patria Nueva, Carolina Hurtado mourned the death of her husband, Aurelio Vivero Nieves, 28, who worked as a laborer in a palm plantation and coincidentally the day the political rally was his day off.

At Vivero’s house another flower ornament was placed. Children who lost their father saw him from the bed. His house is so small that they had to mourn the body in the same room where they sleep. The government offered them a home.

In the Union y Progreso neighborhood, Vicente Cedeño found no consolation for the death of his wife, Gregoria Porozo, 63. Cedeño said his wife went to the political rally because she was a follower of Correa. “I said, Honey, be careful, those things are dangerous.”

Children of Porozo asked the president to apply justice to those responsible. For President Correa, the deadly act was isolated. He noted that during the campaign every act has been made in peace. One of the floral arrangements that adorned Porozo’s house was delivered by the President. It was a heart made with white and green flowers. The message said: “Our deepest condolences to the family.”

Gregoria Porozo’s wake

The victims are to be buried today.