World

Ecuador in internal war: Army reports 329 arrested and 5 narco-terrorists dead

The South American country is going through a complex security situation following the "disappearance" of Adolfo Macias Villamar, leader of a feared criminal gang.

Ecuador
(Rodrigo BUENDIA / AFP)
SABRINA MARTIN
January 9, 2024
6 minutes read

In a forceful response to the violence crisis plaguing Ecuador, military forces carried out an operation that resulted in the arrest of hundreds of criminals and the killing of several terrorists.

The head of the Joint Command, Jaime Vela, gave a press conference this Wednesday to inform about the actions carried out in the framework of the declaration of internal armed conflict in Ecuador. According to Vela, law enforcement forces managed to arrest 329 terrorists and kill 5, most of them belonging to criminal gangs such as Tiguerones, Lobos and Choneros.

In addition, a total of 61 weapons of different calibers, 418 rounds of ammunition and 24 explosives were seized during the operations. Twenty-eight inmates who had escaped from the prisons were recaptured, and 41 hostages were rescued.

"We have used all the means we have," said Vela, highlighting the commitment of the Armed Forces to address the situation of violence in the country.

Ecuador has faced a wave of violence that has reached alarming proportions following a series of recent incidents that led President Daniel Noboa to decree a 60-day state of emergency and declare the country in internal armed conflict. According to the police, at least ten people have been killed so far, including two law enforcement officers.

The complex security situation in the South American country worsened following the disappearance of the leader of the feared criminal gang Los Choneros, Adolfo Macías Villamar, a.k.a. Fito.

Authorities reported Sunday night that the whereabouts of Fito, who was imprisoned in Guayaquil, were unknown. Since then, numerous incidents have been reported, including prison riots and armed men breaking into television stations and a university, among other violent incidents.

Fito's escape

Macías Villamar, the leader of one of the most dangerous criminal gangs in the country and heavily linked to drug trafficking, contract killings, extortion and other high-impact crimes, was serving a 34-year sentence for murder and organized crime.

However, last Sunday, when Villamar was being transferred to a maximum security prison, the government reported that the Armed Forces noticed the "disappearance" of Fito.

Prison takeovers

Following the news of the criminal gang leader's disappearance, several prisons in the country began to suffer violent incidents, such as the destruction of public facilities and the assault of prison officers.

So far, the prisons that have suffered riots include Litoral Prison in Guayaquil, Turi Prison in Cuenca, El Inca Prison in Cuenca, Machala Prison, Ambato Prison, Riobamba Prison and Latacunga Prison in Cotopaxi.

A state of emergency declared

On Monday, after reports of the escape of one of the most dangerous inmates in the country and various violent events in prisons, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa signed an executive order to restrict freedom of movement during night hours, suspending the right to freedom of assembly in the country, and provide for the possibility of requirements to maintain order.

Car bombs

On Monday night, violence increased even more when three car bombs were reported to have exploded on different roads in the city of Quevedo.

Another criminal leader escapes from prison

Fabricio Colón Pico, one of the ringleaders of another gang known as Los Lobos, also escaped from prison on Tuesday along with 38 other inmates. Although 12 have already been recaptured, the leader of the criminal organization, who was arrested after threatening to kill Attorney General Diana Salazar, is not among them.

Armed gangs take over television channels

Armed and hooded men entered the facilities of TV Televisión and Gamavisión and kidnapped workers in the buildings, threatening to use their weapons and explosives.

Criminal gangs enter the University of Guayaquil

A group of criminals also broke into the University of Guayaquil this afternoon and locked students and professors in classrooms. In images shared through social media, university students can be seen running on campus, trying to flee from the criminals.

Shortly after, the university suspended all academic and administrative activities.

Noboa declared criminal gangs as terrorist groups

President Daniel Noboa announced the signing of an executive decree declaring internal armed conflict in Ecuador. In his declaration, he identified various transnational organized crime groups as terrorist organizations and belligerent non-state actors.

Student injured in shooting

As reported by RT en Español, there was a shooting on Avenida del Bombero in Guayaquil that left a minor injured. The young student was rushed to a hospital.

Ministry of Education suspends on-site classes

Due to the violence, the Ministry of Education announced the suspension of on-site classes throughout the country for the remainder of the week.

President of Peru convenes emergency meeting with ministers due to crisis in Ecuador

Dina Boluarte, President of Peru, convened an emergency Council of Ministers to evaluate the situation in Ecuador and take urgent measures to prevent criminals who escaped from prisons from trying to enter the neighboring country.

Former Interior Ministers Rubén Vargas and Dimitri Senmache suggested through social networks that a good measure would be to close the border and mobilize both the Armed Forces and the National Police.

Transportation chaos

The lack of public transportation caused a significant problem among citizens who had to think of other ways to get around during the crisis.

Police arrested criminals who broke into television stations

Ecuadorian authorities managed to apprehend several of the people who broke into the media facilities with weapons, and the names of some of those arrested are already beginning to circulate on social media.

At least eight deaths recorded in Guayaquil

The mayor of the city of Guayaquil, Aquiles Alvarez, reported that 29 critical incidents occurred throughout the day related to armed criminals, which left at least eight people dead and two injured. In addition, two policemen were killed in the nearby town of Nobol.

"There are no words that can fill a void for the people who have lost a loved one today. These are tough times, but when the street gets tough, only the tough walk, and here we are," he said.

Noboa summons the Security Council

The President announced that he met with the Council of Public and State Security after the violent incidents. "We will not allow terrorist groups to break the peace of the country," he expressed next to a photograph of the meeting.

This is a developing story.

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