The police captain looked strung-out and exhausted as he reached for the can of energy drink on his desk and took a swig. Leading the unit in charge of finding disappeared people in Ecuador’s main port city, Guayaquil, was taking its toll.
Hundreds of disappearances have been reported this year, said the officer, who asked not to be named for security reasons. Forensic anthropologists are increasingly called upon to exhume human remains. Graphic footage of gangland killings is uploaded on social media – sometimes with a reggaeton soundtrack.
