The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, decreed this Monday (8) a state of exception in the country, which will last 60 days, following the escape of José Adolfo Macías, leader of Los Choneros, one of the country's main criminal organizations, and a series of riots in at least six prisons that involved the retention of prison guards and the burning of mattresses.
The state of emergency suspends the rights to freedom of association, inviolability of home, inviolability of correspondence in prisons and freedom of movement between 11pm and 5am. Furthermore, it allows the country's Armed Forces, in support of the police, to control prisons, as they have done on previous occasions.
Noboa stated that the measure aims to give full political and legal support to Ecuador's security forces to confront “narco-terrorist groups that intend to intimidate the government and society”. He said that he “will not negotiate with terrorists” and that he will work to “return peace to all Ecuadorians”.
“I have just signed the state of exception decree so that the Armed Forces have full political and legal support for their actions”, declared the president in a post made on his official social media account Instagram.
Noboa blamed factions linked to drug trafficking, murders for hire and organized crime for the prison crisis that has been occurring in the country for a few years. He alleged that some previous governments took orders from these factions on what to do. The action determined this Monday by his government aims to regain control of Ecuadorian prisons.
Ecuador closed 2023 with a new record for homicides, reaching its third negative year. In 2023, there were almost 7.6 thousand violent deaths in the country, whereas in 2022, this figure was 4.6 thousand and in 2021, something around 2.1 thousand.
Noboa took office as president of Ecuador a month and a half ago. He won the presidency promising quick results in the fight against insecurity in the country. (With EFE Agency)
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