Quito, January 8 (Prensa Latina) The President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, today declared a state of emergency for 60 days at the national level to facilitate the intervention of the armed forces in the face of the prison crisis that exists in the country.
The decree imposes a curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. (local time).
In a video posted on social networks, the president stated that he would neither negotiate with terrorists nor give in to the demands of criminal groups.
The head of the executive branch explained that the state of emergency is a measure aimed at regaining control over the centers of deprivation of liberty and providing political and legal support to the military in its actions.
In his message, Noboa warned that the time when organized crime “dictated to the government what to do” is over and considered that the lack of control in detention centers “is the result of the decision to confront them “.
After several hours without official information, the National Service for Comprehensive Care of Adults Deprived of Liberty and Juvenile Offenders confirmed that correctional officers are being held in the prisons of Machala, Loja, Cuenca, Riobamba and Latacunga.
In addition, the facility in the El Inca prison, in the north of this capital, reported that there was a fire of mattresses in the courtyard of the center, where it activated the safety protocols put in place for these cases and is working in a coordinated manner to restore normality.
Videos circulated on social media showing prison guards with prisoners with knives reading a document addressed to President Daniel Noboa asking not to transfer prisoners. However, the veracity of the images has not been confirmed.
This Monday's unrest comes as the government continues to search for Adolfo Macías (Fito), leader of the Choneros gang, whose whereabouts have been unknown since yesterday.
In the Guayaquil regional prison, where the now fugitive has to hide, according to the executive branch, an operation with three thousand police and military personnel has been underway since daybreak.
jha/avr