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In this edition of El Debate we analyze the decisions of President Daniel Noboa in Ecuador in the face of the wave of violence, highlighting the recent escape of alias 'Fito', leader of the criminal gang Los Choneros, and the subsequent armed takeover of a television channel, among other violent acts. Noboa responded by declaring a state of emergency and cataloging the crisis as an “internal armed conflict.” The unknown lies in the implications of this declaration on people's lives, the scope of military power and the source of financing.
For the first time in Ecuador, the existence of an “internal armed conflict” is officially declared, a decision taken by President Daniel Noboa on January 9. In the last week, a series of violent events led the president to approve two decrees in this regard.
The chain of events began on January 7, when José Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias 'Fito', leader of Los Choneros, one of the most dangerous gangs in the country, escaped from prison Guayaquil region. President Noboa responded with Decree 110, declaring a state of emergency throughout the country for two months due to what he classified as a serious internal commotion.
In this decree, he granted greater powers to the military, allowing them to enter prisons and collaborate with the police at the national level. In addition, he established a national curfew between 11 at night and 5 in the morning.
Despite these measures, violence persisted. On January 9, a group of hooded armed men took over the public channel TC Noticias in Guayaquil during a live broadcast. Noboa's response was firmer, since with Decree 111 he officially declared the “internal armed conflict” in the country. The presidency argues that criminal gangs are not simply criminals, but belligerent non-state actors, which is why it designated 22 organizations, including the Choneros and the Lobos, as terrorists.
Read alsoGangs, corruption and international cartels: who is who in the violent wave in Ecuador?
In practice, what does it mean that there is an armed conflict in Ecuador? What powers do the military have now that they didn't have before? What are the implications of talking about armed groups instead of gangs? These are the questions that we will analyze in this debate together with our guests:
– Karol Noroña, investigative journalist specialized in organized crime and Human Rights.
– Efrén Guerrero Salgado, constitutional lawyer and professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.
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