2024-01-11 03:43:07
2024-01-11 11:43 United News Network 24 Hours Around the Corner On the fourth day of Ecuador’s state of emergency, the Ecuadorian police stated that as of the 10th, at least 11 people had died in Ecuador…
Drug lords escape from prison, gangs riot, and TV stations are taken over: What happened to Ecuador’s national state of emergency?
“Ecuador’s state of emergency has entered its fourth day, and the chaos among drug lords and gangs has not yet subsided…” Ecuador, a South American country, has recently been plunged into national security turmoil. Last week, it was first discovered that the leader of a drug lord had escaped from prison. In January, the country A state of emergency was entered on the 8th, but the next day there was a thrilling incident in which armed men broke into the TV station and held it hostage, and the entire scene was broadcast live. The state of emergency has now entered its fourth day. The Ecuadorian police stated that as of January 10, at least 11 people have died across the country. All businesses and government agencies have been closed. Soldiers have taken to the streets to station themselves in front of hospitals, public transportation entrances and TV stations. School teachers and students have also been asked to temporarily hold classes remotely. In the southwestern port city, Guayaquil, the largest city, and the capital Quito in the north, traffic is paralyzed and crowded with workers who want to flee home for refuge.
The New York Times reported that on January 9, a group of armed men wearing masks broke into an Ecuadorian television station, brandishing guns and explosives, ordering television employees to lie on the ground and beating them. The anchor was forced to appeal on camera “President, don’t get involved.” The Associated Press reported that one of the men was reportedly heard shouting that he wanted to issue a warning, warning the public about the consequences of “messing with the gang.”
The Ecuadorian police stated that 13 suspects have been arrested in the attack on the TV station. Fortunately, no TV station personnel were injured. However, the horrific images of the TV station being captured have been broadcast, and the entire hostage process lasted for at least 15 minutes before the police arrived at the scene. Although Ecuador will only have a presidential candidate assassinated in 2023, the country used to be regarded as a relatively peaceful country in South America. It is unprecedented for such atrocities to be directly presented to the public, thus causing public panic.
On January 9, a group of armed men wearing masks broke into an Ecuadorian television station, brandishing guns and explosives, and ordered the television crew…
▌Drug lord leader escapes from prison, national emergency
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency on January 8 and implemented a nationwide curfew from 23:00 every night to 05:00 the next day. A national emergency means the president can send troops into prisons to forcefully restore order, and he can deploy soldiers across the country to assist police. After the attack on the TV station on January 9, Noboa went a step further and declared an “armed conflict” in the country. The government announced a list of 22 gangs, calling them “terrorist organizations” and refusing to engage in “negotiations.” At the same time, it stated that the armed forces would “neutralize” terrorist organizations within the scope “in compliance with international humanitarian regulations.”
“These narco-terrorist groups want to scare us, thinking that we will give in to their orders,” Noboa said. “We will not negotiate with the terrorists, and we will not give up on restoring peace.”
However, this decision immediately triggered a strong backlash from gangs. According to the “BBC” report, a total of more than 130 staff members in five prisons have been taken hostage; in addition, a policeman who was kidnapped while performing his duty was forced to record A statement was read out, “If you declare war, it will trigger a war.” “If you declare a state of emergency, the police, civilians, and soldiers will become the spoils of this war.” As of the afternoon of the 10th, there were reports that police officers in Ecuador had been kidnapped or even killed. According to government statistics, at least 330 people had been arrested on terrorism charges, including suspects who broke into a TV station.
Since last weekend, serious violence has occurred across Ecuador. The cause was the discovery that well-known drug lord and gang leader Adolfo Macías and his associates had escaped from prison. Maciaz, nicknamed “Fito”, is also the leader of the Ecuadorian gang Los Choneros. Among the Ecuadorian gangs, the organization has long been associated with the Mexican drug lord king “El Chapo” Guzman (Joaquin). “El Chapo” Guzman) established close cooperation with the Sinaloa drug cartel (Cártel de Sinaloa).
Maciaz was previously sentenced to 34 years in prison for drug trafficking and other serious crimes. He was originally serving his sentence, but on Sunday, January 7, Maciaz was discovered disappearing from his cell in Guayaquil Prison. However, this is not his first time escaping from prison. Maciaz also escaped from prison 10 years ago and in 2013 with 17 of his men. After being arrested, he has returned to prison. Like other gang leaders, Maciaz still controls the gang’s cause behind bars.
In fact, many of the prisons where notorious prisoners are held in Ecuador are not run by the state, police or security forces, but are controlled by the prisoners themselves. As the leader of the Ecuadorian criminal group, “Fito” also controls Ecuador. The largest prison. He released a “music video” through his daughter in September 2023 – the video shows prisoners in prison relaxing and chatting with Feito. You can also see that Feito’s personal cell is spacious and gorgeous, and the prisoners are taller. Calling Fetto the “boss” – a single cell in a prison must be managed separately from the controlling gang members, like a center of power, and the film also sends a clear message that Fetto is the one in charge of the prison.
However, conflicts caused by gang power struggles may break out overnight. The assassination of former Los Choneros leader Villamar (Jorge Luis Zambrano) in 2020 caused a serious split in the gang. Soon after, riots broke out in prisons controlled by four rival branches at the same time. 79 prisoners died in the conflict.
Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru, the world’s two largest producers of cocaine. Although the Colombian army has spent decades trying to stop the flow of cocaine, and the police have received professional training from the United States for this purpose, it is still difficult to stop it. Drug cartel development. Ecuador has a large port on the Pacific coast and lacks experience in fighting criminal groups. It soon became a transit point for drug transportation and indirectly caused many social security problems.
The 36-year-old Noboa was elected President of Ecuador on October 16, 2023. This time coincided with the assassination of the late presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. After being elected, Noboa also promised to Fight with all your strength against the gang responsible for the murder of Villavicencio. But five months after the assassination, prison violence has spread again, leading to frequent violence on the streets in many cities and panic among people. How the government responds will be a severe test for Noboa, who has only been in office for two months.
The criminal who invaded the TV station was arrested by the police.Photo/European News Agency
▌Ecuador’s gang and drug problem
Ecuador was once a relatively peaceful country in the Andes, but in recent years it has been embroiled in a turf war between criminal organizations. Although Ecuador itself does not produce cocaine or grow its main ingredient, coca, it is sandwiched between the world’s two largest drug producers – Peru and Colombia – making it a prime exporter of cocaine from South America to North America. , an integral part of European trafficking routes. As a result, Ecuador has become embroiled in the criminal gangs’ war on drugs, with violence becoming more frequent especially along the Pacific coast where exports are available.
Attacks against Ecuadorian politicians also continue to occur, such as the shooting of Agustín Intriago, the mayor of Manta, in July 2023, and the mayoral candidate of Puerto López in February. Omar Menéndez was killed. On August 9, 10 days before the vote in the Ecuadorian presidential election, presidential candidate Villavicencio was shot after a campaign and died on the spot. The gunman He was also shot and killed while exchanging fire with his entourage.
Before Villavicencio was shot dead, he gave an exclusive interview to “CNN En Español” in August, talking about the violence caused by the drug trade in Ecuador, and pointed out that Ecuador has become a “drug country” and actively advocated for the country We must launch a crackdown on drugs.
Ecuadorian police have stepped up security outside other prisons following the prison break.Photo/Archyde.com Past 24 hours Latin America
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