Several churches in Guayaquil are assailed by insecurity

La Catedral church

A family was expecting, surprised, the arrival of members of the police to the San Antonio de Padua Church, known as San Gregorio, located in the Citadel Urdesa, in the North of Guayaquil, because the thieves removed the brain of their car,  a Chevrolet Spark that was in the inner parking place.

“Insecurity inside and outside the churches of Guayaquil is more frequent than you can imagine,” said Romulo Aguilar, pastor of the Cathedral.

On the other hand, inhabitants of the citadel Guasmo Sur suggested that the surveillance should be strengthen,  outside of Las Lajas and La Dolorosa, churches within the cooperatives Causa Proletaria and El Pedregal, respectively, as there are those who prefer not to attend the mass to prevent the attacks from  anti-socials  on the exterior of the nearby temples.

Meanwhile, Pedro Vera Santos, Concierge for twelve years in the Church of La Victoria, ensures that some people enter to take candle holders, vases, the alms and other ornaments of the Church.

“The same person who goes to San Agustin Church also comes here. I think that they cover all the nearby churches,”says Vera, who expresses that they also place papers into the hole of the recipients of the alms.

“They box the paper, afterwards they drop a single coin to prove if it falls or not. When they see it’s right, they leave for an hour and return to take the accumulated money,” added Vera