Once peaceful Ecuador is sinking deeper into the swamp of crime. Criminal gangs are fighting for a piece of the drug business pie. Now they are even demonstrating their power live on television.
Quito – In view of the escalating gang violence in Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa has sent the armed forces into battle against the South American country's powerful gangs. The soldiers are supposed to carry out military operations against around 20 criminal organizations, according to a decree. Ecuador is now in an internal armed conflict in the fight against organized crime.
The gangs are terrorist organizations and non-state war parties that should be eliminated, the decree continued. “All of these groups are now military targets,” said military chief Jaime Vela.
Armed men storm TV studio
Shortly before, armed men broke into the premises of the state television station TC Televisión in the port city of Guayaquil during a live broadcast and took several journalists and employees hostage. Gunshots and people screaming could be heard in the recordings.
Special police units later brought the television station back under control and arrested 13 suspects. Weapons and explosives were seized, the police said. Those arrested are accused of terrorism.
Soldiers patrol the capital
The security cabinet met for a meeting at the government headquarters in Carondelet. “We will not allow terrorist groups to disturb the peace in the country,” said President Noboa. According to a report by TV channel Ecuavisa, soldiers in armored vehicles patrolled the historic center of the capital Quito. The Ministry of Education announced that all schools in the country will remain closed until the end of the week.
The government of the South American country declared a state of emergency due to chaotic conditions in the prisons. Criminal gangs fought violently in prisons and took guards hostage. According to the prison administration, the head of the powerful gang “Los Choneros”, Adolfo Macías alias “Fito”, and the leader of the gang “Los Lobos”, Fabricio Colón Pico, apparently managed to escape.
Highest murder rate in Ecuador's history
The security situation in Ecuador had recently deteriorated dramatically. The murder rate of around 46.5 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants last year was the highest in the history of the once peaceful Andean country and one of the highest in Latin America. Presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who vowed to fight corruption, was shot dead in August after a campaign rally.
Multiple gangs with ties to powerful Mexican cartels are fighting for control of drug trafficking routes. Albanian drug traffickers are now also said to be involved. Ecuador is a major transit country for cocaine from South America that is smuggled to the United States and Europe. dpa
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