Ecuador's newly elected president, Daniel Noboa, is grappling with a security crisis as gangsters, in response to a declared state of emergency following a drug kingpin's prison escape, have taken four police officers hostage.
At just 36 years old, Noboa was elected in October with a promise to combat the escalating drug-related crime and violence in Ecuador, a key player in the cocaine trade with the US and Europe.
The president imposed a 60-day state of emergency nationwide on Monday, encompassing Ecuador's notoriously violent prisons, along with a nighttime curfew. The drastic measures followed the escape of powerful gang leader Jose Adolfo Macias, known as "Fito."
As the situation intensified, officials reported the abduction of four police officers, with a chilling video circulating on social media showing the kidnapped officers held at gunpoint. The captors issued a warning, declaring war and threatening execution for anyone found on the streets after 11 p.m.
In response, President Noboa emphasised in a video statement that the state of emergency would empower the armed forces to intervene and control prisons. He vowed not to negotiate with terrorists and pledged to restore peace to all Ecuadorians. Noboa also announced plans to construct two maximum-security prisons, similar to those implemented by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in his battle against gangs.
The escaped gang leader, Macias, had been serving a 34-year sentence for organised crime, drug trafficking, and murder. His disappearance triggered unrest in multiple penitentiaries across Ecuador, resulting in guards being taken hostage. The Attorney General's office filed charges against two prison officials accused of involvement in Macias' escape.
This incident adds to Ecuador's recent surge in violence, marked by explosions in Esmeraldas and clashes between rival gangs in a nation that has traditionally been a peaceful buffer between cocaine-exporting countries.
Drug-related violence has reached alarming levels, with over 7,800 homicides and 220 tonnes of drugs seized in 2023, setting a new record for the country. Since February 2021, clashes among prisoners have claimed the lives of more than 460 individuals.
