A regime of “internal armed conflict” was declared in Ecuador

Armed people took hostage live the presenters and guests in the editorial office of the television channel TC Televisión, located in the second largest city of Ecuador – Guayaquil. Sky News and Primicias reported this on Tuesday, January 9.

According to the latest report, the police were able to free part of the TC Televisión office. A spokesman for the President of Ecuador said that “most of the officers and specialists of the channel have been released,” and that the security forces managed to stop some bandits who participated in the attack.

In addition, according to media reports, other armed gangs have infiltrated the University of Guayaquil – criminals are trying to capture students and teachers.

The attackers published a video of the execution of prison guards, in which the leader of one of the cartels escaped the day before. The bandits put demands for the lifting of the state of emergency, as well as the removal of all police and military personnel from the streets.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa ordered the regular army to neutralize all bandits and declared a state of internal armed conflict in the country.

A day earlier, he declared a state of emergency and set a curfew across Ecuador due to the escape from prison of one of the country’s most notorious criminals, Adolfo Massias Williamar, known as Fito.

Let’s remember that in February of this year, there were clashes between prisoners in the city of Guayaquil in western Ecuador.

In November 2021, at the same prison, at least 58 people were killed in clashes between rival gangs, and more than 10 others were injured. There, at the end of September last year, a spate of violence claimed the lives of 116 inmates.