The conflict within Ecuador has been brewing for years now as a result of the War on Drugs within the South American country. The February 2021 riots, the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio last year, and the multiple clashes between organized crime groups and the Ecuadorian military that have been occurring since the late 2010s were just a prelude to the state of emergency within the country that was declared last week.
The cause of the escalation comes primarily from the escape of José Adolfo Macías “Fito” Villamar, a drug trafficker and the leader of the Los Choneros syndicate. Los Choneros is suspected to be one of the strongest crime organizations in Ecuador. Villamar escaped on January 7th from a prison in Guayaquil, the same day as the leader of the Los Lobos gang escaped prison in Riobamba. President Daniel Noboa, who was recently inaugurated, declared a state of emergency on January 9th, enabling the Ecuadorian military to crack down on the prisons and potentially the rights of Ecuadorians suspected of allegiance to the gangs. This triggered a series of violent attacks including riots, bombings, and gun violence as outraged gangs promised “war” on the government.
Hours after Noboa declared the emergency. Gang members seized a tv station in Guayaquil and took journalists and crew members as hostages. The police raided the building later in the day and only two journalists were injured. The criminals also were abducting college students from the University of Guayaquil, some of whom ran and barricaded themselves to protect themselves from armed gunmen. Over the past few days, gangs have also begun shooting civilians and police officers at random, committing arson attacks, and taking hostages. The Washington Post characterized the chaos as a response to Noboa’s state of emergency and retribution for his efforts to destroy organized crime.
Noboa declared the country to be in “an internal armed conflict” and said all groups participating in the chaos would be considered terrorist groups and promised that there would be no negotiations. The extent to which the President uses his power remains to be seen. But Ecuadorians are now living in fear wondering if they will be caught in the crossfire between their government and these criminals.
