Who is Adolfo Macías, whose escape from a prison in Ecuador generated chaos throughout the country

He is the head of the Los Choneros gang, considered one of the most dangerous criminal factions in Ecuador and this is not the first time he has escaped.

Adolfo Macías, alias “Fito”, no longer sleeps in his cell at the Litoral de Guayaquil prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence since 2011 for organized crime, drug trafficking and murder.

According to the local press, just before the army went to look for him to transfer him to a maximum security prison, the 44-year-old prisoner fainted. More than 3,000 uniformed officers searched for him without success on the roofs and even in the sewers of the prison.

The authorities were slow to recognize the escape and at first the possibility was considered that “Fito” had hidden inside the same prison, of which Los Choneros has control.

In a statement, the SNAI, the government institution responsible for what happens in prisons, announced that it had filed a complaint for Macías's “alleged escape,” and the prosecutor's office has already filed charges against two prison guards whom it linked to the escape.

This Monday, the newly inaugurated president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, declared a 60-day state of emergency in the country due to the escape of “Fito” and the subsequent riots in several prisons.

Los Choneros, whose roots are found in the coastal province of Manabí, where the town of Chone is located, are considered to have strong ties to the Sinaloa Cartel.

In addition to having bloody confrontations with other drug trafficking gangs, Los Choneros are accused of contract killings, trafficking of narcotics, robbery and extortion.

Ecuador is suffering from a wave of violence, which has skyrocketed in recent years, exacerbated by the growing presence of Colombian and Mexican drug cartels.

The country has become a transit point on the drug trafficking route and a distribution point for drugs to European markets.

Fito became the leader of the gang after Ecuadorian authorities confirmed the death in Colombia of the previous ringleader, Júnior Roldán, a few days after he regained his freedom last year.

Roldán shared the leadership of the Regional prison with 'Fito'.

It is not the first leak

This would not be the first time that Adolfo Macías escapes from prison.

He had only been behind bars for 2 years when in 2013 he managed to evade, along with other highly dangerous prisoners, the controls of the maximum security prison known as La Roca, in Guayaquil.

He did so by sailing a boat on the Daule River, which runs parallel to the prison.

Three months passed before the authorities managed to capture him and take him back to the penitentiary institution.

According to the local media 'Primicias', in the Guayaquil prison, the criminal not only obtained a law degree but for a decade controlled his drug trafficking operations, spread extortion practices and ordered murders.

The newspaper assures that in May 2023, the boss had more than US$23 million between front men, shell companies and other activities.

And it seems that, under the leadership of Macías, the gang maintains an extortion scheme against the rest of the prisoners.

Calculations from the Anti-Narcotics Investigation Directorate, cited by Primicias, estimate that criminal activities within the prison would generate up to US$70,000 a week per cell.

Pools, parties and extortion

One of the prisoners who coincided with him in the Regional, affirms that the criminal created swimming pools in spaces of the pavilions intended for walking or stretching the legs, organized parties, filmed videos, offered press conferences or introduced weapons with drones.

“The guides have no choice but to become accomplices, they threaten them and their families. As prisoners, Los Choneros charge us between US$10 and US$20 a week for the stay, without taking into account what they force you to buy,” the man, under anonymity, told the publication.

The last time “Fito” was seen was last September, when he was temporarily transferred to another maximum security prison in Guayaquil after the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

Then, he appeared in photographs obese, with long hair and a prominent beard. Thousands of uniformed officers guarded it, in one of the largest military and police operations carried out there by former president Guillermo Lasso.

Riots in 6 other prisons

At the same time as Fito escaped, serious riots were reported in at least six prisons in Ecuador, with reports that several guards were taken hostage by prisoners, leading the government of President Daniel Noboa to declare a state of emergency for 60 days.

This means that the police will be able to count on the support of the military forces in their work to maintain order and security, including in prisons.

In addition, a curfew was imposed for all cities that runs between 11 at night and 5 in the morning.

Noboa's security plan includes a new intelligence unit, tactical weapons for law enforcement and security, and a plan to temporarily hold dangerous prisoners on prison ships.

Since 2021, more than 400 deaths have been reported in Ecuador's prisons due to clashes between rival gangs.

In the absence of completing a count of inmates this Monday, it is believed that 'Fito' would have escaped only this time.

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Cristina J. Orgaz
Role,BBC News World