Ecuador Drug Gang Attacks TV Studio Live on Air
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South American country Ecuador is in a security crisis due to a prison break and a riot by gang members, reported by The New York Times (NYT) and others on the 9th (local time).
On this day, armed intruders invaded the TC Television station in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador, taking the broadcaster and staff hostage and threatening them with guns and grenades. The Ecuadorian military and police arrested 13 people involved in a suppression operation involving a shootout and ended the situation, but citizens were shocked as the scene of the hostage threat by the intruders was broadcast live.
This incident occurred amid President Daniel Noboa’s declaration of a 60-day national emergency about the escape of Adolfo Macias, a notorious gangster of the infamous drug trafficking group ‘Los Choneros’ in South America. Macias, who was serving a 34-year prison sentence for crimes such as murder and drug trafficking in 2011, was also suspected of ordering the assassination of a presidential candidate last year.
President Noboa ordered the military and police to maintain strong security and imposed a night-time curfew on residents, but Ecuador’s security, which has always been uneasy, has rapidly deteriorated after Macias’s escape.
In the capital city of Quito, at least five explosions occurred from the previous night, and vehicle arson and shootings continued in Guayaquil, Esmeraldas, Loja, and El Guabo. An explosion was also reported in front of the residence of the Chief Justice in Cuenca. Chief Justice Ivan Saquisela called it a “clear act of terror”. At least seven police officers were kidnapped in Machala and Quito.
Prison riots occurred in six provinces before and after Macias’s escape, and some prison guards were even taken hostage. Most of the riots have been suppressed, but gang crimes, such as the escape of prisoners belonging to the ‘Los Lobos’ gang, are getting out of control.
Ecuador, located between major cocaine-producing countries Colombia and Peru, is frequently the scene of violent incidents due to disputes between gangs as it is used as a drug trafficking route. Peru declared a state of emergency in its border region with Ecuador due to concerns about the impact of this situation. The U.S. State Department expressed serious concern, and the Chinese embassy in Ecuador was temporarily closed. It is estimated that currently, about 600 Koreans are residing in Ecuador. The Korean Embassy in Ecuador said that no damage to Koreans has been reported so far.
By. Jang Won Lee
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