Ecuador president says country is at war with drug gangs
Noboa said on Wednesday his country was «at war» with drug gangs who are holding prison guards hostage, amid a dramatic surge in violence that saw gunmen briefly take over a TV live broadcast and explosions in multiple cities.
Noboa on Tuesday named 22 gangs as terrorist organizations, making them official military targets. The president took power in November pledging to tackle a growing security problem caused by a rise in drug-trafficking gangs transporting cocaine through Ecuador.
«We are at war and we cannot cede in the face of these terrorist groups,» Noboa told radio station Canela Radio on Wednesday. He estimated that some 20,000 crime gang members are active in Ecuador.
Streets in the capital Quito and port city of Guayaquil were quieter than usual on Wednesday, with many businesses closed or working remotely and schools shuttered.
The hostage-takings of more than 130 prison guards and staff, which began in the early hours of Monday, and the apparent escape of Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macias from prison over the weekend spurred Noboa to declare a 60-day state of emergency.
He hardened the decree on Tuesday after a series of explosions around the country and the takeover of the TC television station by balaclava-clad gunmen live on air.
Every effort is being made to rescue the prison hostages, Noboa said.
Some 329 people, mostly members of gangs like Los Choneros, Los Lobos and Los Tiguerones have been arrested since the state of emergency began, armed forces commander Jaime Vela said at a press conference on Wednesday evening.
«There is no hostage who has been murdered,» Vela added, in response to a question about harrowing videos
