The young president of the South American country declared a state of emergency.
Ecuador experienced a series of violent incidents this Tuesday, occurring in several regions of the country, while President Daniel Noboa designated 22 gangs as terrorist organizations.
Daniel Noboa, who took office in November, declared a state of emergency in the country on Monday for 60 days, due to prison violence and the alleged escape last weekend. of Adolfo Macias, leader of the Los Choneros gang.
Daniel Noboa recognized this Tuesday in a decree that Ecuador was facing an “internal armed conflict”, and designated several gangs as terrorist organizations, notably Los Choneros.
The government believes that the violence was committed in reaction to a plan by the president which provides for the construction of a new high-security prison where gang leaders currently detained will be transferred.
“Today’s events show that the government’s actions and decisions greatly affect criminal structures, and in response, they (commit) a wave of violence in order to frighten the population,” the admiral said. Jaime Vela, head of the Joint Command, following a meeting with Daniel Noboa and other officials.
All groups designated in the decree issued by Daniel Noboa are now targets for the armed forces, he added. Peru’s government has declared a state of emergency on its border with Ecuador due to the violence.
Brazil, Colombia and Chile expressed their support for the Ecuadorian government.
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Armed men entered on Tuesday, live, the premises of the TC television channel, which broadcasts nationally and shares its premises with the public channel Gamavision and several radio stations.
The attackers entered the premises, attacking employees and leaving dynamite behind, Leonardo Flores Moreno, coordinator of news programs and journalist at TC, told Reuters.
Explosions, disappearances, secuestros and the irruption of commands on a television channel and a university, marked the violent day in #Guayaquil, #Ecuador. Criminal groups, convicted of Mexican cartels, are located in the city. This is where the terror was destroyed: pic.twitter.com/6XuU7ALpDO
— Ciro Gómez Leyva (@CiroGomezL) January 10, 2024
Police arrested 13 men after the incident and confiscated weapons and explosives.
Seven police officers were also kidnapped on Tuesday in three separate incidents which occurred in Machala, in the southwest of the country, in Quito, the capital, and in the province of Los Rios.
Explosions were heard in the town of Esmeraldas, in the northwest of the country and in the province of Los Rios, according to police.
The town halls of Cuenca, located in the Andes, and Quito also reported explosions and the attorney general’s office said it was investigating a similar incident in Guayaquil, in the west of the country. Local media reported additional explosions in Loja, in the south of the country, and Machala.
Authorities have not revealed the cause of the explosions and no one has claimed responsibility.
The number of violent deaths in Ecuador almost doubled between 2022 and 2023, with 8,008 deaths recorded last year compared to more than 4,500 a year earlier.