Armed Thugs Storm TV Station As Ecuador Violence Escalates

(Bloomberg) -- Masked gangsters briefly took control of a TV station in Ecuador during a live broadcast as violence escalated throughout the nation, prompting President Daniel Noboa to mobilize the military in a bid to “neutralize” the criminals.

Attacks, kidnappings and prison riots multiplied over the past 24 hours since Noboa imposed a nationwide curfew and declared a state of emergency amid a manhunt for a notorious drug lord.

The latest attack targeted state-owned broadcaster TC Television’s Guayaquil station, which was seized by grenade-wielding thugs on Tuesday afternoon. Videos distributed on social networks showed them holding staffers hostage at gunpoint and at least one person was injured, according to Cesar Ricaurte, head of journalism advocacy organization Fundamedios. 

Saying Ecuador faces an “internal armed conflict,” Noboa identified 22 gangs as terrorist organizations, including the Choneros and the Lobos. He ordered “the armed forces to execute military operations under international humanitarian law to neutralize the identified groups.” 

All gunmen who broke into the TV station were later arrested by police, according to local newspaper El Economista. 

The violence, which erupted as the government pursues an austerity plan and prepares to submit a raft of security and investment measures to a referendum, dented investor optimism. Ecuador’s sovereign bonds extended losses to a session low. Notes due in 2030 slipped more than 1.3 cents Tuesday to 48.2 cents on the dollar, further blunting a modest rally that began in mid-December, according to indicative pricing compiled by Bloomberg.

Overnight, seven police officers in different parts of the country were kidnapped, according to the national force. Ivan Saquicela, president of Ecuador’s top court, said an explosive went off near his home. Riots continued at several jails, with guards held by inmates. And the education ministry closed schools in the vicinity of prisons.

Fabricio Colón, leader of the Lobos who is suspected of plotting to assassinate Prosecutor General Diana Salazar, escaped from jail in Riobamba in a 40-inmate prison break. Noboa issued the emergency decree Monday after gang leader Adolfo Macías, head of the Choneros known as Fito, was found to have escaped from his cell in a Guayaquil penitentiary the previous day.

“The time that those sentenced for drug trafficking, murder for hire, and organized crime dictated to incumbent governments what to do is over,” Noboa said in a video statement released on social networks. 

The 36-year-old took office in November promising to control a crime wave that has turned Ecuador into one of Latin America’s most dangerous countries. The 60-day state of emergency sets an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and suspends the need for warrants for searches.  

The escapes of Macías and Colón came just days before Noboa was expected to unveil a plan to reform the prison system, which has experienced a rash of deadly riots in recent years. 

Ecuadorian officials have blamed the problems on increased efforts to combat drug trafficking and organizing crime, as they have struggled to control outbreaks of violence that have resulted in the deaths of more than 400 inmates since early 2020.

The prison problems have occurred alongside a broader surge in violence that ranked as voters’ top concern during the election. Ecuador’s murder rate hit 46.5 per 100,000 people last year, nearly twice the previous record set in 2022 and eight times its 2018 level.

(Updates with arrest of criminals who attacked TV station in fifth paragraph.)

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