British man lynched by mob after arrest in remote Ecuadorian Amazon village
A British national was killed by a mob in Ecuador after being dragged from a police station in a remote Amazonian village, according to local media and authorities.
The man, named locally as Michael Hann, 34, was taken into custody on 20 April in the riverside village of Playas del Cuyabeno, near the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve. He was suspected of fatally shooting his long-time friend and business partner, Rodrigo Chavez, in an alleged dispute linked to their struggling tourism business.
Police confirmed that Hann was arrested early that morning and brought to the station for his own safety after he was 'intercepted and beaten by local residents' following the shooting. Authorities said they were preparing to transfer him to Lago Agrio, about 75 miles away, but were delayed due to 'geographical conditions.'
At around 12:30 pm, a group of angry villagers stormed the station, forcibly removed Hann, and lynched him in the street before setting his body on fire, according to the local outlet Extra, which described the incident as 'a shocking act of apparent community justice.'
A police report identified the victim only as an 'English national,' and a senior police official told the Daily Mail: 'We are still trying to establish the specific identity of the citizen we believe is a British national. We know that he was working and teaching English and was making reservations for tourists visiting the area but we don't have any more information right now.'
Authorities said the situation escalated quickly, with seven officers present at the station during the mob attack. The officers reportedly feared for their lives and potential damage to state property. 'They were carrying guns and other weapons including stones, sticks, spears and even cans of petrol they were threatening to burn the police station down with and harm officers,' the police chief said.
Extra reported that the officers had received advance warnings about threats to the detainee's safety but were unable to act due to the delayed arrival of backup. Ecuadorian broadcaster Ecuavisa stated that Hann died hours later from burns sustained during the lynching.
According to sources close to the investigation, the motive behind the shooting was rooted in a bitter business dispute. Chavez had accused Hann of misappropriating funds from their tourism venture, cutting him out of the business amid financial struggles.
The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it is urgently working with Ecuadorian authorities and forensic teams to verify the victim's identity and gather more information. The FCDO has not yet issued an official statement.
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