In a state of emergency in Ecuador, a shocking incident unfolded on live television as armed and hooded individuals interrupted a broadcast on Tuesday at the Guayaquil-based network. The assailants forced studio staff to the floor amid gunshots and yelling, The live stream signal is currently down.
Ecuador’s National Police posted on social media that ‘specialized units’ have been deployed. The country is grappling with a wave of violence, including explosions, police kidnappings, and prison disturbances, following President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of a nationwide state of emergency on Monday. The declaration came after the escape of high-profile gang leader Adolfo “Fito” Macias from a prison in Guayaquil.
Since the state of emergency announcement, at least seven police agents have been kidnapped in three different cities, according to the National Police. Rival criminal organizations are contributing to the deteriorating security situation, engaging in brutal and public displays of violence in a battle for control over drug trafficking routes.
In one recent kidnapping, an explosive device was detonated in a vehicle carrying three officers. Additionally, incidents involving arson were reported in Esmeraldas, with two vehicles set on fire, including one at a gas station. The capital, Quito, also experienced a burned vehicle with traces of gas, accompanied by reports of a loud explosion.
Ecuador’s penitentiary service, the SNAI, reported six incidents within prison facilities on Monday, including disturbances and the retention of penitentiary agents. The situation in the prisons remains uncontrolled. Meanwhile, another alleged gang leader, Fabricio Colon Pico, escaped from a prison in Riobamba, along with 38 other inmates. Twelve of them have been recaptured, according to the SNAI.
The Ecuadorian Armed Forces conducted control operations in conflict-ridden areas on Monday night and early Tuesday. The National Assembly convened an emergency meeting to formulate concrete actions in response to the national unrest.
The search for Adolfo Macias, leader of the feared gang Los Choneros, continues with over 3,000 police officers and armed forces members deployed. Macias, linked to maritime drug trafficking with connections to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel and the Oliver Sinisterra Front in Colombia, was jailed for drug trafficking. His escape has heightened tensions, with the late presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio previously warning of threats from Macias for campaigning against gang violence. Authorities are intensifying efforts to locate and apprehend Macias amid the ongoing crisis.
