Five days after the escape of public enemy number 1 in Ecuador, Colombia increased its military presence on the border, fearing that “Fito” would come and seek refuge in the country.
The leader of the Ecuadorian Los Choneros gang, Adolfo Macias alias Fito, whose escape from a prison in Guayaquil (southwest) on Sunday triggered a cycle of violence against the authorities, may be on alert in neighboring Colombia, the army said on Friday .
When asked about the presence of Public Enemy No. 1 in Ecuador, General Helder Giraldo, commander of the Colombian Armed Forces, estimated that “it is possible, and that is why we have a large-scale device to capture (…) this terrorist” .
Strengthening the military presence
The general stressed to W Radio that around 200 of the 220 prisoners who escaped from Ecuadorian prisons in recent days have been recaptured “by the authorities” of Ecuador. “There are still 20 refugees left that we are very vigilant about.”
The Colombian army is also monitoring the possible presence on its soil of Fabricio Colon Pico, leader of the Los Lobos gang, who also escaped from another Ecuadorian prison.
Colombia increased military presence on its border with Ecuador on Wednesday to prevent the passage of hunted refugees. Peru did the same.
“The priority is to block the passage of these leaders (…) of these armed groups who want to enter the national territory at any time,” General Giraldo added.
He said the Choneros and other criminal gangs in Ecuador, such as the Tiguerones, which operate in the border province of Esmeraldas, have “a close relationship” with Colombian armed groups such as the Oliver Sinisterra Front, a splinter group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Other prisoners
Colombia also fears Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's idea of sending 1,500 Colombian prisoners back to the border, citing “international agreements” to address prison overcrowding. Colombia rejects this unilateral measure, claiming that in practice it would amount to releasing these prisoners.
According to many in the two neighboring countries, Ecuador is now experiencing a situation increasingly similar to that of Colombia in the 1980s, which fell victim to the indiscriminate violence of drug lord Pablo Escobar and was ultimately killed by police in 1993.
But life slowly returned to normal on Friday after the gangs had spread terror since Monday. Most shops have reopened and public transport has resumed.