The attack occurred as millions of Ecuadorians were voting in a referendum focused on President Daniel Noboa's crime-fighting efforts.

Another person was injured in the attack, and the Ecuador Prosecutor's Office is investigating the incident.

No further details about the motive or circumstances of the director's death have been shared.

A social rehabilitation worker named Parrales was killed in Ecuador on the same day as a referendum on security issues.

The National Social Rehabilitation System (SNAI) expressed grief over his death and promised to work with local authorities to investigate.

Proposals in the referendum include allowing the military to patrol with police, permitting extradition, and increasing penalties for violent crimes.

No arrests have been made.

Ecuador, once known as an "island of peace," is facing rising organized crime linked to drug cartels due to its deep ports making it a significant transit point for cocaine bound for consumers in the US and Europe.

Criminal organizations are fighting to control these trafficking routes, resulting in increasing violence that is spilling into public areas in a brutal manner.

President Noboa is implementing measures to curb this crime wave.