FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
After declaring a state of emergency in Ecuador, the army has landed on the streets in several cities, where unprecedented violence is being recorded.
Masked gunmen attacked a public television studio during a live broadcast in the city of Guayaquil, and bomb explosions were reported across Ecuador on Tuesday.
More than 130 prison staff are being held hostage by inmates in five prisons. A 60-day state of emergency began on Monday after a notorious gangster disappeared from his prison cell. It is unclear whether the attack on the television studio in Ecuador's largest city was related to the disappearance of Choneros gang boss Adolfo Macías Villamar, or 'Fito', as he is better known.
President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency in response to a recent spate of prison riots and prison escapes and other acts of violence that authorities blame on criminal gangs. The government ordered criminal gangs to be "neutralized" and said an "internal armed conflict" existed within the country.
Authorities say the violence is a reaction to President Noboa's plan to build a new high-security prison for gang leaders. The president said Wednesday that Ecuador will begin deporting foreign prisoners, particularly Colombians, to reduce its prison population. Esteban Torres Cobo, a deputy minister in President Noboa's government, said the fight against armed gangs could result in many deaths and casualties. "It's going to be bloody, but this is the change we need to have a better future, we can't put this decision off for years, we have to make this move now," he told the BBC's Neeshour programme. -'s.
He said that the gang leaders were asking for mediation, but that "the government will not negotiate with anyone". A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply alarmed by the worsening situation" and the "devastating impact on the lives of Ecuadorians". Meanwhile, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the US "strongly condemned" the latest attacks, while National Security Council spokesman John Kirby asserted that Washington was committed "to helping support security and prosperity for the people of Ecuador".
A few hours after the attacks, Guayaquil was like a city waking up from a strange nightmare. Despite the worsening security situation over the past few years, few would have expected to see the anchor of the state TV channel TC being threatened with a gun to his head live on air. The police have made 70 arrests since Monday, including the aggressors of the attack on the TV station. The streets are mostly empty. Many say the situation reminds them of life during the Covid pandemic.
Hundreds of soldiers, including tanks, are patrolling the streets of Guayaquil and the capital, Quito. Across the country, schools are closed and learning is taking place online. China, a major investor in Ecuador, also announced it was temporarily closing its embassies and consulates. Inside the businesses that remain open in Guayaquil, private security guards are keeping the doors closed while carefully allowing people to enter. Eduardo, who works for an international clothing firm, said he was on the street buying coffee when the chaos broke out and when he returned to the office he saw his colleagues taking their things and leaving.
"Today, everyone is working from home," he said. About 125 prison guards and 14 administrative staff are being held hostage across Ecuador, prisons agency SNAI says. Four police officers, who authorities say were kidnapped by criminals between Monday and Tuesday, are also being held in handcuffs. Three other officers were released late Tuesday. Police say violence continues in Guayaquil. Eight people were killed and three wounded in gang-related attacks in the city on Tuesday, while two police officers were killed by "armed criminals" in the nearby town of Noboli, police said. This is an unprecedented situation for the people of Guayaquil, as they have seen political protests and other incidents, but nothing on the scale of the full-blown panic that gripped the city on Tuesday.
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