Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced the introduction of an “internal armed conflict” regime in the country due to the worsening security situation. He ordered the neutralization of 22 local criminal groups. Against the backdrop of the operation, clashes with police and acts of vandalism began in cities. There are civilian casualties. Read more in the Izvestia article.
Escape from prison of gang leaders
On Monday, January 8, it became known that one of Ecuador’s most dangerous criminals, Adolfo Macias, nicknamed Fito, the leader of the country’s largest organized crime group (OCG), Los Choneros, had escaped from prison. This year's prison break is not his first. Fito had been held in a Guayaquil prison since 2011 and was sentenced to 34 years in prison for organized crime, drug trafficking, and murder. Before that, he escaped in 2013.
Immediately after the discovery of Fito’s escape, about 3 thousand people were involved in his search. Because of what happened in Ecuador, the security situation has sharply deteriorated. Riots began in prisons; prisoners attacked guards and took them hostage. A total of 39 prisoners escaped from prison, 17 of them were caught.
In response to the disappearance of the Los Choneros leader, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency, including a temporary ban on public gatherings, a curfew, and the use of the country's armed forces to regain control of the country's prison system.
On the morning of January 9, in Chimborazo prison No. 1, clashes occurred between prisoners and guards, as a result of which the leader of another large organized crime group, Los Lobos, Colon Pico, fled from there.
On the same day, Daniel Noboa signed a decree declaring an “internal armed conflict” regime in the country. Also, a number of gangs and organized crime groups in the country have been recognized as terrorist organizations and warring non-state actors. Among them are “Los Lobos”, “Los Choneros”, “Los Tiburones”, “Latin Kings” and others. In total, the list consists of 22 groups.
Prisoners stand on the roof of a prison during a riot in Cuenca, the country's third largest city.
Photo: AP Photo/Xavier Caivinagua
Relatives of prisoners wait for news about their loved ones outside the El Inca prison in Quito, the capital of Ecuador.
Photo: REUTERS/Karen Torov
Military spokesman General Wilson Pavon speaks to the media outside El Inca prison during a security operation due to unrest.
Photo: REUTERS/Karen Toro
An attempt to seize the television studio of the TS channel. Armed hooded men broke into the building and took several employees hostage
Photo: Reuters TV
Police evacuate TC TV station workers
Photo: AP Photo/Cesar Munoz
Security forces are taking security measures, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared an internal armed conflict and ordered military operations against organized crime groups
Photo: Getty Images/Anadolu/Jose Orlando Sanchez Lindao
Several armed men were arrested after an attempt to seize the TS television station.
Photo: Getty Images/Anadolu/Jose Orlando Sanchez Lindao
Relatives of TS employees after the operation to free the hostages. Ecuadorian police chief Cesar Augusto Zapata called the incident a terrorist attack.
Photo: Getty Images/Anadolu/Jose Orlando Sanchez Lindao
Exploded pedestrian bridge in Quito
Photo: Global Look Press/IMAGO/ROLANDO ENRIQUEZ
Law enforcement officers conduct patrols and searches in the historical center of Quito
Photo: Global Look Press/dpa/Juan Diego Montenegro
Officers guard metro stations in Ecuador's capital
Photo: Getty Images/Agencia Press South/Franklin Jacome
Patrol at the government palace in Quito. According to police, at least 10 people were killed as a result of the unrest in the country. Also, more than 1.9 thousand reports of various crimes were received per day
Photo: AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa
Unrest in the country
After this, riots began in many cities of Ecuador. Unknown persons kidnapped seven police officers in the capital Quito and the city of Machala; three officers were later released. In Guayaquil, on January 9, criminals seized the studio of the TC Televisión television channel and took presenters and employees hostage. The media published live footage showing six masked men pointing guns at channel workers lying on the floor. Streets near the premises of TC Televisión and Gamavisión were blocked. Later, the police detained the participants in the attack.
Criminals began to burn cars and buses, and improvised explosive device explosions were recorded in Guayaquil. It was also reported that criminals broke into the National University of Guayaquil. Footage appeared in the media of students and teachers hiding and trying to defend themselves from criminals.
At the moment, at least ten people are known to have died in Ecuador as a result of the unrest.
Daniel Noboa has already convened a meeting of the National Security Council to resolve the emergency situation that has befallen the country.
Authorities' reaction
After the outbreak of the armed conflict in Ecuador, many Latin American countries expressed support for the authorities of the republic and also strengthened security measures. In particular, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Peru has already announced an increase in the contingent of law enforcement officers on the border with Ecuador.
The conflict has also given rise to new concerns about the drug trafficking situation throughout the region. Bolivian President Luis Arce called on countries in the region to urgently join forces to combat drug trafficking.
The United States and Argentina, as well as the Organization of American States (OAS), have indicated their readiness to help the Ecuadorian government in the fight against criminal gangs and resolving the crisis in the country.
Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said on the morning of January 10 on Sputnik radio that no incidents with Russian citizens have been recorded at the moment amid the aggravation of the situation in Ecuador. At the same time, the Russian Embassy in Ecuador recommends refraining from traveling within the country, as well as from visiting it.
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