Ecuadorian Drug Trafficking Gangs Murder 10 People in Guayaquil

On Tuesday, Ecuadorian criminal organizations linked to international drug trafficking unleashed a wave of violence that left ten people dead in Guayaquil City.

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Noboa Declares Internal Armed Conflict in Ecuador

Among the victims are two police officers, Corporals Alex Taday and Luis Guanotuña, who were shot dead in Nobol, in the province of Guayas.

All of this happened in the midst of terrorist attacks throughout the country that involved burning cars, destruction of public infrastructure, looting of warehouses, riots in prisons, kidnapping of prison guides and police officers, escape of prisoners, and the takeover of a television station.

Hours after the first violent incidents broke out in the prisons, President Daniel Noboa issued a decree declaring a 60-day "State of Emergency" with a curfew from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.

This decision, however, was not enough to contain violence given that drug traffickers threatened to start "a civil war" and attack the police and military if the state of emergency and the curfew persisted.

To confront the escalation of violence, Noboa subsequently decreed "Internal Armed Conflict" and mobilized the armed forces to carry out military operations and eliminate transnational criminal organizations operating in Ecuador.

The decree identified the following criminal rings as terrorist organizations and belligerent non-state actors: "Aguilas, AguilasKiller, Ak47, Caballeros Oscuros, ChoneKiller, Choneros, Corvicheros, Cuartel de las Feas, Cubanos, Fatales, Ganster, Kater Piler, Lagartos, Latin Kings, Los Lobos, Los p.27, Los Tiburones, Mafia 18, Mafia Trebol, Patrones, R7 and Tiguerones."

The text reads, "Urgent: TC television channel in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In an unprecedented event, several armed men kidnap journalists during a live broadcast."

In its latest report, the National Police reported on the arrest of 70 people linked to violent acts, the release of three police officers who had been taken hostage, the capture of 17 escaped prisoners, and the seizure of weapons, ammunition, and explosives.

On Tuesday afternoon, in a decision involving the support of all political organizations, the National Assembly expressed its support for the measures adopted by Noboa.

The Ecuadorian legislators announced that they would apply pardons or amnesties to police and military in cases related to the fight against drug trafficking.