Ecuador President Noboa declares state of emergency amid wave of violence

[LAUREN TAYLOR]
A WAVE OF VIOLENCE…

CIVIL UNREST AND WIDESPREAD CHAOS IN ECUADOR – AS THE COUNTRY’S PRESIDENT – DANIEL NOBOA – DECLARES A STATE OF EMERGENCY.

DAYS OF TERROR IN THE PORT CITY OF GUAYAQUIL – AFTER REPORTS THAT THE LEADER OF NOTORIOUS GANG THE CHONEROS – nicknamed “FITO” – ESCAPED PRISON MONDAY.

HE WAS SERVING 34 YEARS FOR MURDER, ORGANIZED CRIME AND DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES.

VIOLENCE BROKE OUT AT PRISONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THIS WEEK – AS PRISON INMATES, GANG MEMBERS – TOOK AT LEAST 130 PRISON GUARDS AND MORE THAN A DOZEN STAFFERS HOSTAGE – ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT.

MASKED GUNMEN THEN STORMED A TELEVISION STUDIO – ORDERING TV STATION EMPLOYEES TO LIE DOWN. IN THE VIDEO – YOU CAN SEE THE GUNMEN POINTING THEIR GUNS AT THE CREW AND YOU CAN HEAR SCREAMS AND GUNSHOTS IN THE BACKGROUND.

ONE WITNESS SPOKE TO THE A-P AND SAID ONE OF THE GUNMEN SHOT A CAMERAMAN AND BROKE ANOTHER PERSON’S ARM.

THE ASSAULT WAS CAPTURED ON LIVE TV – AND WAS SEEN BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AFTER 15 MINUTES – THE SIGNAL CUT OUT.

OFFICERS WITH GUNS DRAWN RUSHED INSIDE THE STUDIO – RELEASING THE HOSTAGES AND ARRESTING THE 13 GANG MEMBERS.

EXPLOSIONS AND CAR FIRES WERE REPORTED IN SEVERAL CITIES AND TOWNS IN THE SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRY.

IN SEVERAL VIDEOS – YOU CAN SEE ARMED MEN ROAMING THE STREETS – AUTHORITIES CALLING IT A “TAKEOVER.”

AT LEAST 11 PEOPLE DIED.

PRESIDENT NOBOA SAID THE “ATTACKS WERE THE GANGS’ REACTIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT’S MOVES AGAINST THEM” – AS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PLAN TO BUILD NEW HIGH-SECURITY PRISONS FOR GANG LEADERS.

NOBOA CALLED THE GANG MEMBERS TERRORISTS AND ORDERED THE MILITARY TO “NEUTRALIZE” THEM — SOMETHING HE SAID THE NATION SHOULD HAVE DONE LONG AGO.

[DANIEL NOBOA / PRESIDENT OF ECUADOR]
“We are practically living in a state of war against terrorism. These are not organised crime groups, they are terrorists who are financed by drug trafficking, trafficking in people, organs and arms.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]
PRESIDENT NOBOA WAS ELECTED IN OCTOBER ON THE PROMISE OF RESTORING PEACE, DECREASING VIOLENCE AND REGAINING CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY’S PRISONS.

COUNTER-NARCOTICS EXPERTS SAY – THE SMALL COUNTRY OF ECUADOR PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN ECONOMICS OF COCAINE – WHICH IS USUALLY SOURCED IN COLOMBIA AND PERU AND TRAVELS THROUGH ECUADOR – BEFORE BEING FUNNELED UP THROUGH MEXICO TO THE U-S.

AMERICAN OFFICIALS CONDEMNED THE ATTACKS AND WANT TO OFFERED NON-MILITARY SUPPORT FOR ECUADOR.

[JOHN KIRBY / NSC COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS]

“WE ARE MONITORING THE SITUATION. WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE CONCRETE STEPS TO IMPROVE OUR COOPERATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF ECUADOR AS THEY BEGIN TO DEAL WITH THE VIOLENCE AND THE STRESSORS ON THE POPULATION THAT THIS VIOLENCE HAS OCCURRED AND I’LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]
IN FISCAL YEAR 2023 – BORDER AGENTS ENCOUNTERED MORE THAN 117-THOUSAND ECUADORIANS AT THE US SOUTHERN BORDER – FIVE TIMES THE NUMBER (24,936 IN FY 2022) FROM THE YEAR PRIOR.

IN OCTOBER – THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED A NEW LEGAL PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP FOR ECUADORIANS – FLEEING THEIR COUNTRY TO SEEK ASYLUM IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE FAMILY REUNIFICATION PROCESS WILL ALLOW ECUADORIANS TO BE “CONSIDERED FOR PAROLE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS FOR A PERIOD OF UP TO THREE YEARS WHILE THEY WAIT TO APPLY TO BECOME A LAWFUL PERMANENT RESIDENT.