Ecuador is reeling from a fresh wave of violence that has shaken the South American nation, with the president launching a military crackdown after criminal groups took more than 100 prison staff hostage and gunmen stormed a live television broadcast.
The crisis highlights the challenges ahead for President Daniel Noboa, who took power in November after pledging during an election campaign to curb violence, as drug trafficking gangs increasingly transport cocaine through Ecuador.
He said the country was “at war” with drug gangs and that some 20,000 gang members are active in Ecuador.
“We are at war and we cannot cede in the face of these terrorist groups,” Mr Noboa said.
What’s happening in Ecuador?
The country’s president declared a 60-day state of emergency on Monday after the leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, Aldofo Macias, disappeared from the prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence and is yet to be tracked down.
Since then, violence in Ecuador’s prisons has spilt onto the streets.
There have been incidents of violence in at least six of Ecuador’s prisons since Monday, with prisoners holding more than 100 guards and staff members hostage.
In Riobamba, a provincial capital in central Ecuador, 39 inmates escaped from a prison. Some have been recaptured.
Mr Noboa, who has vowed not to negotiate with “terrorists,” has said the violence is a reaction to his government’s plans to build a new high-security prison for jailed gang leaders.
Violence spread to the streets on Tuesday, with two police officers killed in Guayas province. Seven police officers were also kidnapped around the country, though three have been freed.
TV studio violence
The violence was most dramatically displayed when an armed group burst into a television studio during a live broadcast and held journalists at gunpoint. More than a dozen people in the group were arrested.
A journalist who was held hostage by gunmen during the takeover told Reuters news agency the experience was “surreal”.
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Jose Luis Calderon, 47, was in the studio as he and his colleagues aired a broadcast when he heard yelling, shots, and people running outside in the hallway as gunmen stormed public broadcaster TC on Tuesday afternoon, carrying rifles, grenades and dynamite.
“Our immediate reaction was to seek refuge in the bathroom,” he said. He hid with some colleagues and they called family members and police, but were overheard by the gunmen.
“They forced us, under threats, to come out,” Mr Calderon said.
“They took us (into the studio) as hostages with other colleagues.”
The gunmen said several times they were part of La Firma, a gang associated with larger crime group Los Choneros, led by Macias.
Mr Calderon said the balaclava-clad gang held a rifle to his head and tucked dynamite into his jacket, demanding he appear on the live feed.
They eventually surrendered to the police and 13 people were arrested at the site.
Why is this happening?
Security in Ecuador has worsened since the coronavirus pandemic, which also battered the nation’s economy.
The number of violent deaths rose to 8,008 in 2023, the government said, nearly double the 2022 figure. The violence crossed into the political arena last year when an anti-corruption presidential candidate was assassinated.
Inside Ecuador’s prisons, the gangs have taken advantage of the state’s weak control to expand their power. Prison violence has become increasingly common, resulting in hundreds of deaths in incidents authorities have blamed on gang battles to control the jails.
Guayaquil, a coastal city that is Ecuador’s largest, is considered the country’s most dangerous, with its ports acting as a hub for drug smuggling.
What’s being done to stop the violence?
Mr Noboa, 36, has been touting his “Phoenix Plan” for security, which includes establishing a new intelligence unit, tactical weapons for security forces, new high-security prisons and reinforced security at ports and airports.
The 60-day state of emergency enabled military patrols, including in prisons, and set a national night-time curfew.
Mr Noboa has also identified several criminal gangs as terrorist groups, including Los Choneros, and a decree has ordered the armed forces to neutralise the groups.
Joint chief of the armed forces, Admiral Jaime Vela, said hundreds of terrorists have been arrested.
“We have arrested 329 terrorists, we have rescued 41 people that were taken as hostages … taken down five terrorists … confronted three terrorist groups,” he said.
“We have seized 61 arms of different calibres, 418 ammunitions, 24 explosives. We have recaptured 28 people who were stripped of their liberty and escaped.”
He said 195 vehicles and nine boats that were robbed have been recaptured, while 230 kilograms of substances were under investigation.
“The security block we formed since the beginning is giving results, and we will keep it this way – united.”
Schools were shut across the country with classes taking place online and many businesses choosing to close for the day.
Reuters/ABC