In the brutal power struggle between drug cartels and the Ecuadorian government, all correctional officers held hostage have now been released. Prison authorities said on Saturday (local time) that a guard was killed and another injured during fighting inside a prison.
Initially, 41 prison guards and administrative staff were released. They were later followed by the remaining 136 correctional officers who had been held by mutinous prisoners in the country’s various detention centers on the west coast of South America.
Wave of violence by drug cartels
For about a week, Ecuador has been facing an unprecedented wave of violence from drug cartels, whose members have terrorized the entire country with prison riots, hostage takings and attacks on police officers. The reason was the escape of José Adolfo Macías alias “Fito”, one of the most powerful drug barons in the country, from the maximum security prison in the port city of Guayaquil last Sunday.
Recently, criminal gangs have rioted in several prisons and taken numerous guards under their control. Many prisons in Ecuador are controlled by crime syndicates. Often, security forces simply ensure that detainees remain in detention centers. Within the walls they are largely left to their own devices.
The government sent armed forces to fight gangs
After armed men stormed a studio of state TV channel TC Televisión during a live news broadcast on Tuesday and took numerous hostages, the government sent the army into battle against the gangs. President Daniel Noboa declared by decree that Ecuador was in an internal armed conflict. He declared 22 criminal groups terrorist organizations and non-state belligerents that must be eliminated.
The security situation in Ecuador had recently deteriorated dramatically. The murder rate of 46.5 murders per 100,000 inhabitants last year was the highest in the history of the once peaceful Andean nation and one of the highest in Latin America.
Cartels battle for control of drug trafficking routes
Multiple gangs linked to powerful Mexican cartels are fighting for control of drug trafficking routes. Ecuador is a major transit country for cocaine from Colombia, Peru and Bolivia that is smuggled to the United States and Europe.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
