Ecuador narco bosses escape from prison, President Noboa issues order to ‘neutralize’ gangs in war torn country

livemint.com:

Daniel Noboa declared the country to be in a state of "internal armed conflict" after gangsters declared "war" in an escalating security crisis sparked by the prison escape Sunday of one of Ecuador's most powerful narco bosses. Long a peaceful haven sandwiched between top cocaine exporters Colombia and Peru, Ecuador has seen violence explode in recent years as enemy gangs with links to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control.

Noboa, 36, came to office late last year on a pledge to fight rampant drug-related crime and violence. After the escape of Jose Adolfo Macias, aka "Fito" -- leader of Ecuador's biggest gang Los Choneros -- Noboa on Monday declared a countrywide state of emergency and nighttime curfew.

Gangs retaliated, taking hostage police officers, setting off explosions in several cities and on Tuesday storming a studio of TC television in the port city of Guayaquil with guns and explosives. Hooded attackers fired gunshots during a live TC broadcast as a woman could be heard pleading: "Don't shoot, please don't shoot." The intruders forced terrified crew onto the ground and a person could be heard screaming as the studio lights went out but the broadcast continued.

Police entered the studio after about 30 minutes of chaos and were alerted by someone to "a wounded companion." Thirteen people were arrested, police said, adding that no one had been killed or injured in the raid. Afterward, Noboa ordered military operations "to neutralize" organized crime groups he described as "terrorist organizations and belligerent non-state actors." On Monday, he had vowed to bring the fight to the cartels, but retaliation came swiftly.