On Tuesday, Ecuadorian television station TC in Guayaquil was invaded by a group of hooded armed men who forced staff to lie on the floor. They were later detained by national police. Reuters. On the same day, January 9, seven police officers were kidnapped and five explosions were confirmed in several cities across the country; no casualties were reported.
The day before, this Monday, there were also episodes of violence. In at least six prisons, more than 150 guards and staff were taken hostage. 39 prisoners escaped from Riomba prison. Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macias, 34, disappeared from prison on Sunday.
On Monday, President Daniel Noboa, who committed to fighting crime in November, declared a 60-day state of emergency with a mandatory nationwide night-time curfew. The decision was taken to prevent the security situation in the country from deteriorating in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Violence nationally pushed the number of deaths in 2023 to 8,008, doubling from 2022, when more than 4,500 deaths were reported.
The 2023 presidential election was marked by the assassination of an anti-corruption candidate.
According to the government, the feeling of insecurity is caused by the influence of cocaine traffickers who have managed to expand their power in Ecuadorian prisons, a consequence of weak government controls. Authorities blame the rise in prison deaths on gang rivalry.
The “Phoenix Plan”, announced by Daniel Noboa, includes a new intelligence unit, tactical weapons for security forces, new high-security prisons and increased security at ports and airports. Of the nearly 730 million euros that this plan will cost, almost 200 million will be supplied by the United States of America. Noboa believes the violence plaguing the country is a reaction to a plan to build a new maximum security prison for jailed gang leaders.
The Ecuadorian government published a decree on Tuesday recognizing the country’s “internal armed conflict” and designating, among others, the criminal group Los Choneros as a terrorist group. The President ordered the military to neutralize these groups.
Author: Philippa Novais This Joana Mendes
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.