President Daniel Noboa has implemented a 60-day state of emergency in the nation, which includes the enforcement of a nighttime curfew. Additionally, he has officially designated 22 criminal groups as terrorists. The situation unfolded as 43 prisoners managed to escape from a prison in northern Ecuador, as reported by the SNAI prisons agency on Monday. Meanwhile, security forces are actively engaged in operations throughout the country.
The recent surge in violence, marked by incidents such as gunmen storming a live TV news broadcast, explosions in various cities, and the kidnapping of police officers, is believed to be a reaction to President Noboa's initiatives aimed at addressing Ecuador's severe security crisis.
Following the liberation of approximately 200 kidnapped guards and administrative officials from at least seven prisons over the weekend, police and military personnel have been deployed to jails across Ecuador. The escape of inmates from a prison in Esmeraldas, near the Colombian border, was confirmed by SNAI in a statement on Monday. A search operation involving around 2,000 members of Ecuador's security forces was conducted in the prison on Sunday, leading to the discovery of the escape of 48 inmates. The statement mentioned that five prisoners were subsequently recaptured, and it was reported that one inmate had died in the prison.
Since the declaration of the state of emergency, security forces have apprehended over 1,500 individuals and executed 41 operations against terrorist groups, according to government sources. The government has communicated its commitment to continuing operations throughout Ecuador in the coming week with the clear objective of being relentless against those who have terrorized and abused citizens.
President Noboa, elected last year with a mandate to restore security, has pledged measures such as keeping gang leaders confined in new high-security prisons.
