A post-mortem examination has determined that Polish anti-corruption activist Monika Silva Koniuszek died from a blow to the head and strangulation, contradicting initial government claims of suicide. Campaigners assert she was murdered to silence her investigations into the family business of Ecuador's rightwing president, Daniel Noboa.
Post-mortem contradicts suicide claim
Silva Koniuszek, 41, was found dead in her home in Montañita, a coastal town in Santa Elena province, on 8 June. She was discovered on the floor with a noose around her neck. The day after her death, before autopsy results were released, Ecuador's interior minister John Reimberg told local media that the initial hypothesis was suicide, stating that "the necessary evidence to reach that conclusion was found at the scene."
However, on Friday, a post-mortem in Guayaquil revealed the cause of death as a blow to the head and strangulation. Attorney Lita Martínez, director of the Ecuadorian Centre for the Promotion and Action of Women, said: "Based on the forensic reports, we are certain that this was a violent death; therefore, the alleged suggestion that it was a suicide falls apart."
Activist's work and threats
Silva Koniuszek had spent the last decade denouncing environmental crimes and corruption on social media and working with local journalists. Her social media profiles stated: "You don't need to be born in Ecuador to love it and defend what is right."
Beth Pitts, a 47-year-old British author and fellow activist who collaborated with her, described Silva Koniuszek as "the bravest person I have ever met." Pitts added: "She was often a lone voice, publicly and vociferously denouncing corruption and environmental crimes when everyone else was too afraid to speak out. Beyond her activism, she was a dedicated single mother and a wonderful friend. Even when she was receiving death threats, she would still take the time to ask how I was doing and offer her support."
Colleagues say Silva Koniuszek had begun investigating Noboa Trading, the fruit conglomerate belonging to President Noboa's family. They claim she was pursuing allegations that several tonnes of cocaine had been seized in Noboa Trading banana containers, but high-ranking Ecuadorian judicial officials were stalling the investigations. Shortly before her death, she told friends she had delivered a dossier of allegations to the US embassy in Quito. She also investigated a massive land-trafficking ring allegedly involving politically connected figures in Santa Elena province.
Death threats and judicial harassment
Friends say Silva Koniuszek faced judicial harassment and explicit death threats, allegedly linked to the same crime networks that assassinated local journalist Robinson del Pezo in November 2025. Her friend Joanna Cuper told Polish broadcaster TVP Info that the activist claimed she was "followed and observed." "None of us believe she killed herself," Cuper said. "She said that the cartels had put a price on her head. Three years ago, her then husband took the children to Brazil because she was receiving threats that she and her children would be murdered."
Silva Koniuszek was a single mother to two daughters, aged four and nine.
International response
Her death made headlines in Poland, with scepticism over early suicide reports. The Polish prosecutor's office confirmed last week that it had requested mutual legal assistance from Ecuadorian authorities and suggested it would want to be closely involved in the investigation. The Polish embassy in neighbouring Peru expressed hope that "the competent authorities will conduct a swift, thorough, independent and transparent investigation" to "clarify the circumstances of the case and ensure accountability." The embassy emphasised "the importance of protecting human rights defenders, journalists, social activists and all individuals engaging in civic life."
In Montañita, the community created a shrine to Silva Koniuszek with photos and flowers, kept candles burning for several days, and local street artists painted a mural. Neighbours renamed a street after her.
