Ecuador Declares State of Emergency as Narco-Gangs Threaten the Government

The people of Ecuador have been put on lockdown, schools and business closed, as the Government declares a state of emergency and a state of war against the drug cartels that are taking over the country

The emergency started after a drug gang took over a television studio in the costal city of Guayaquil (second largest) and taunted the government that they were powerless to stop them. The upheaval also coincided with the escape from prison of two high profile cartel leaders. And not a few months ago a presidential candidate was assassinate by the cartels.

Ecuador Declares State of Emergency as Narco-Gangs Threaten the Government

In Ecuador, a recent disturbing series of events underscores the country's years-long descent into widespread insecurity and gang-related violence. On Tuesday, several masked gunmen stormed a live broadcast on a major public television channel in the city of Guayaquil, carrying guns and explosives and forcing journalists to the ground live on air. The incident unfolded amidst a renewed wave of unrest in the country, reportedly including the escapes of two notorious gang leaders from prison, prison riots, and explosions and looting across several cities.

The root causes of upheaval in the country extend beyond domestic issues, with the country's strategic location between major coc aine-producing nations making it an attractive transit point for international drug trafficking networks. An analysis of trends in the transatlantic drug trade by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in September 2023 found that Ecuador is increasingly being used as a transit point to traffic drugs into Europe from coc aine-producing neighbors Peru and Colombia. Cocaine use has increased across Europe, the second most used illicit drug in the continent behind cannabis, according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

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This is a shame as Ecuador use to be one of the more peaceful and stable countries in South America.

I have family there and the country had undergone quite a large transformation between the early 2000s though 2020, when I was last there right before covid took hold. In the early 2000s you would not mistake that you were in the third world; crumbling infrastructure every were and the metropolitan areas run down and sketchy. But by 2020 the government had revitalized their downtowns making it a great place to visit.

But the country was rocked by covid and a few natural disasters and now the drug cartels are moving in.

The assumption is that the Ecuadorian government is going to go very totalitarian to save off the cartels; moving in the same direction as El Salvador link.

Very unfortunate.

a reply to: Dandandat3

It sucks when the Cartels that have so much money take over.

If I was in charge there. I'd put out bounties on all known cartel members. Dead or Alive. And let bounty hunters into the country to take care of things.

Maybe I'd militarize 100%. Increase the size of the army and go after the cartels.

Columbia has been dealing with the cartels for decades and are still having issues.

a reply to: Dandandat3

I’ve been following this for a few days.

As usual not much available on the “new internet”

I grabbed the following from telegram.

t.me...

Military reportedly deployed in Guayaquil amid panic and chaos after Ecuador's most-wanted' criminal disappears from prison

t.me...

Military in Ecuador patrolling the streets, following President Daniel Noboa's announcement of a state of emergency.

t.me...

Ecuador is experiencing mass narcoterrorism. This is soon to happen in the US unless the borders are secured.

t.me...

criminals storm a Guayaquil TV studio live on air, after President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency following a gang leader's escape from prison. From Lasso to Noboa, Ecuador has come under narco-criminal control.

t.me...

Employees of the TC television channel.

Graphic!
t.me...

EXTREMELY GRAPHIC CONTENT - The cartel has begun killing the hostages

t.me...

- Ecuador's president declares "internal armed conflict," mobilizes military to neutralize "terrorist groups."

t.me...

Gunmen shooting at police vehicles amid internal conflict and chaotic situation in Ecuador

t.me...

Intense clashes reported now reported from the Guayaquil subway station, Ecuador.

I have some fiends that moved down there a year and a half ago. The world is going crazy

a reply to: NorthOS

Ecuador is experiencing mass narcoterrorism. This is soon to happen in the US unless the borders are secured.

When you hear about the tens of thousands of illegal migrant militar aged men flooding our cities its not hard to imagine.

My Ecuador wife, who is far more liberal on most things than I am, will be the first to tell you these people are not the best these countries have to offer; they are the worst.

Narco Gangs already in a city near you.

Meanwhile, the world's problems are pouring in through our southern border.

I'm sure we'll import some of this too.

a reply to: Dandandat3

My wife is from Guayaquil, and her family are still there, some of them trapped in other cities due to their work when the lockdown was effected. In fact some of the explosions went off only two streets away from my mother & father in law's home, we saw on social media. My brother in law is a senior doctor serving as the director of a major hospital group in a particular region, and he has been involved in high level 'cobra' type meetings to determine the best course of action - with all the government, police, medics, legal & military groups all working together to try to solve the problems faced.

One interesting event in the wake of the violence on Tuesday was that the indigenous indian community erected barricades on many of the roads in Guayaquil, and were resisting the cartel thugs with violence against violence, determined to protect the Latin American community (who are less coordinated to attempt such resistance tactics). The indians are armed to the teeth as well, which helps.

We spent time in prayer on Tuesday, hoping that the police & military can get things under control soon. Also, my impressions of the new president are favourable, he seems to be steady, determined & humble enough to win the moral victory no matter what happens. I have hope that he will wage a successful war against the cartels without decimating the nation as a place to live in securely & happily. The nation was very safe a while back, with the exception of thieves who weren't afraid to murder people just to steal a handbag - but this issue with the Peruvian & Colombian mafias moving in to secure transit routes is very sad.

Godspeed Ecuador, be safe.

a reply to: FlyInTheOintment

Hope your family stays safe.

My wife's family lives in Cuenca.

We started getting reports of the country becoming more dangerous about a year ago. My wife's Niece had visited and was astonished how things had changed. My Mother in law who lives in Cuenca down played what my wife's Niece was saying. We were planning to fly over this past holiday based on what my mother in law was saying; I'm glad we didn't.

a reply to: Dandandat3
We have gone through similar things in Guatemala, don't know how it is in Ecuador, but here it is a temporary. Get everyone off the streets so the police/military can apprehend those they are after without civilians getting caught in the crossfire.

Come to think of it, a similar thing happened in the US after the Boston marathon bombing.

Not saying it doesn't suck but it will probably blow over quickly, hopefully.

a reply to: Dandandat3

Thanks, yes we just had news that my brother-in-law (the doctor) managed to get back to Guayaquil, he had been in the Orient region; thankfully the main roads back throughout his 3 hour journey were clear & patrolled by the military, so no danger of interception by the gangs.

My other brother in law is a judge-in-training; he's been warned that the gangs intend to target anyone who works in the judiciary, hence he will need to be very careful if they do indeed continue to work in the coming days & weeks.

Indeed the nation has been getting much worse over the past year, the narco mafia from Columbia & Peru fighting over the transit routes out of Guayaquil port to ship coc aine to Mexico & Europe. It's crazy dangerous without the military on the streets as they are now, so hopefully they can neutralise those 22 gangs which have now been declared terrorists.

a reply to: Dandandat3

I hope the government survives. I think we are at the point as the world was in USA pre civil war in the West. These guys need to be killed and their funds confiscated to reduce the national debt.

Prison is a joke along with "humanitarian" "no death penalty" A holes whom could be nothing more than stooges for the Cartels.

I also wonder how many in USA government are on the Cartels payroll.