Given the escalation of gang violence in Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa declared the clashes between criminal gangs and security forces an internal armed conflict. The Armed Forces would be forced to carry out operations against around 20 criminal organizations, he said in a decree published yesterday.
Gangs are terrorist organizations that must be destroyed, not belligerent parts of the state, he said.
Armed men invaded TV stations
Shortly before, armed men invaded the premises of state television broadcaster TC Television, in the port city of Guayaquil, during a live broadcast, and took several journalists and employees hostage.
Portal
The live broadcast was not interrupted even with the set lights turned off. About 30 minutes after the armed men arrived, police could be seen arriving. “Police, police,” shouted a uniformed man. “We have a colleague injured,” said one man. Special forces later regained control of the television station and arrested several suspects.
Chaos in prisons
The incident occurred a day after a national state of emergency was declared in Ecuador following the prison break of a notorious drug trafficker.
For the next 60 days, the military will be deployed in the country's prisons and streets, and there will also be a mandatory nighttime curfew between 11pm and 5am. After the announcement, at least four police officers were kidnapped.