President of the country stated that the root of narcoterrorism in Europe and the USA is in Ecuador
The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, said that the public security crisis in Ecuador is a problem for the entire world. In an interview with BBC published this Saturday (13.jan.2024), Noboa said that the country cannot continue with the “game” involving “terrorist groups”.
“It’s encouraging to see the international community really paying attention to what’s happening here. […] This affects the whole world: the narco-terrorists who operate here have operations in Europe, in the USA. We need to solve the problem at the root, and the root of the problem is here”said the president.
On January 9, Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency in Ecuador. The measure expands permission for Army and police actions and authorizes the Armed Forces to carry out military operations against criminal organizations.
In total, 22 groups are listed as “terrorist organizations” It is “belligerent actors”including the group Los Choneros – whose leader escaped from a prison in the country on January 7, which triggered a series of new violent acts.
COUNTRY IN CRISIS
The country is facing an escalation of violence that has grown as organized crime, especially drug trafficking, has gained ground. The homicide rate increased by 674% in 5 years (from 2019 to 2023).
In 2023, one of the presidential candidates, Fernando Villavicencio, from Construction Movement, was shot dead during the campaign. At the time, the journalist and activist promised that combating the advance of criminal groups would be a priority in a possible government.
On the same day as Noboa's decree, armed men invaded a live broadcast on the TV channel TC Televisionin Guayaquil.
President Daniel Noboa, who is just 36 years old, took office in November 2023 for a “buffer mandate” 1 year and a half.
The election that elected him should have been held in 2025, but was brought forward after the then president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, dissolved the National Assembly after going through a process of impeachment.
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