Guayaquil, Ecuador – Gunmen armed with explosives forcibly entered a TV station during a live broadcast in Ecuador on Tuesday, as the nation faced a surge of violence that prompted President Daniel Noboa to declare 22 criminal gangs as terrorist organizations to be targeted by the military.
Amid the chaos, police detained 13 men responsible for storming the TV station, and multiple other incidents – including the kidnapping of seven police officers and several explosions – swept through the country.
President Noboa, who vowed to tackle drug-related violence when he took office in November, announced a 60-day state of emergency on Monday in response to a string of violent prison incidents and the apparent escape of a notorious gang leader.
In a revised decree, Noboa recognized an “internal armed conflict” and identified nearly two dozen gangs as terrorist groups. The government attributed the violence to opposition against Noboa’s plan to build a new high-security prison and transfer incarcerated gang leaders.
Historically, prison transfers of gang leaders in Ecuador have led to outbreaks of violence, and the country has been plagued by gang wars over valuable cocaine smuggling routes, fueling further instability.
Prisons agency SNAI reported that a group of prisoners, including an alleged gang member involved in a plot against the attorney general, escaped from a penitentiary in Riobamba. Meanwhile, incidents of violence and hostage-taking were reported in various cities, leading to a state of emergency declaration in Machala and concerns for public safety in other urban centers.
Ecuadorian sovereign bonds took a hit in the wake of the violent events, indicating a broader economic impact of the unrest. The escalating violence has led to increased scrutiny of President Noboa’s efforts to address security concerns, especially in light of a significant rise in violent deaths in recent years.