The president of Ecuador declares an emergency and security personnel execute raids while jail guards stay captive

Ecuador: In reaction to a wave of violence and the imprisonment of over 180 prison staff members by convicts, military and police operations were carried out around the country on Thursday. The administration has pledged to wage war on criminal groups that it holds responsible for the unrest.

The sharp increase in violence this week, which included the abduction of police officers, the on-air takeover of a TV station, and mysterious explosions in many locations, seems to be a reaction to measures made by newly elected President Daniel Noboa to address a critical security situation.
Among other things, Noboa has promised to house gang leaders in prison in brand-new, high-security facilities. On Thursday, the government is anticipated to provide information on the proposed facilities. Noboa said on Wednesday that U.S. assistance was anticipated in a few days and issued a 60-day state of emergency, deploying the troops into the streets and designating 22 gangs as terrorist organizations. The sometimes contentious national legislature, which voted late on Wednesday in favor of the 36-year-old son of a banana baron who assumed office in November, is receiving support.

Nothing about the hostages
Authorities have not provided any information on the whereabouts of the 158 prison guards and 20 administrative employees who have been kidnapped in at least seven jails since Monday. “We still don’t know what the conditions are on the inside,” said Carlos Ordonez, vice president of the prison workers’ group. “The situation is very worrying.” Ordonez said that the military has assumed control of the locations where hostages are held. “No one goes in, no one comes out, we don’t have exact information,” he added.

Social media users have been sharing videos that seem to depict jail employees being subjected to severe brutality, like as shootings and hangings. However, military forces commander Rear Admiral Jaime Vela said on Wednesday that no hostages had been murdered. Ordonez said, “At this point, we comprehend and hope that it’s not our coworkers in the videos… We believe they are all still alive.” His organization has also filed a habeas corpus lawsuit in an effort to put pressure on the government to take further action.

Without including juvenile detention facilities, there are only 2,600 prison guards in the whole country to oversee 32,000 inmates. “We ask for the liberation of my colleagues and then for better working conditions,” Ordonez said. Three prisoners escaped from one jail overnight, according to a statement released by the prisons agency SNAI on Thursday. It further said that the captives were still being freed.

ongoing activities
Ecuador is a key hub for drug shipments and borders Peru and Colombia, two countries that produce cocaine. Ecuador’s military conducted searches and seized guns around the nation this week, while its neighbors tightened border restrictions.

Since the president proclaimed a state of emergency on Monday, 329 people—mostly members of gangs including Los Choneros, Los Lobos, and Los Tiguerones—have been imprisoned, according to Vela’s statement on Wednesday. Kidnappings of police personnel have also occurred. Prior to Thursday, the police had said that nine people were being detained; however, it was unknown how many people were still in custody. On Thursday, the streets of Quito and Guayaquil were more tranquil than normal as many people worked from home while schools conducted online.

Tuesday afternoon’s live broadcast of gunman storming a TV studio at public broadcaster TC went viral, garnering international attention for around twenty minutes. One of the hostages, 39-year-old writer Alina Manrique, said she had fantasized about never seeing her kids again and had worried she would be murdered. The gunmen’s surrender was like “being reborn,” she added, and being rescued by cops.

“Their intention is clear to me, for all the world to see that they were capable of doing this at two in the afternoon, of assaulting a TV channel and putting 50 journalists, a city, a country on their knees,” Manrique said. Jose Luis Calderon, a coworker of Manrique, told Reuters on Wednesday that the shooters repeatedly claimed to be from La Firma, a gang connected to Los Choneros, one of the organizations that Noboa has designated as terrorist groups. Noboa’s decision to proclaim a state of emergency was influenced by the alleged weekend escape of Los Choneros commander Adolfo Macias.