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Ecuador – which has been plunged into a conflict between the government and drug traffickers since January 8 – is witnessing a state of chaos after the country’s number one enemy managed to escape, and a drug gang took police members hostage, with President Daniel Noboa announcing that the country has become “in ” “A state of war.”
To understand what is happening there, the French magazine Le Point asked the following five questions:
What led to the outbreak of the crisis?
The crisis erupted after the escape of the head of the country’s main criminal organization, Adolfo Macias, nicknamed “Vito,” on Sunday, January 7, after he had been detained in a high-security prison in Guayaquil, southwest of the country.
According to the magazine, Vito – who heads the extremely violent Los Choneros gang – is considered “Public Enemy No. 1” in Ecuador, and his escape from prison destabilized the country, and as a result, rebellions broke out in many prisons, prompting the Ecuadorian President to declare a state of imprisonment. Emergency on January 7 for 60 days.
What is the interim assessment of the conflict?
Since the beginning of the crisis, the violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people. The Ecuadorian President estimates the number of members of the criminal gangs behind the violence at more than 20,000, describing them as “terrorists.” There have been several cases of prison guards being held hostage, reaching 125 prison guards and 14 Administrative employees are being held hostage in at least 5 prisons, according to the prison administration, and schools were closed on January 9 in the capital, Kyoto, and throughout the country.
What is the smuggling situation? thedrugs In Ecuador?
Ecuador, with a population of 18 million and once a haven of peace, is witnessing violence after it became the main export point for cocaine produced in neighboring Peru and Colombia to Europe and the United States.
Assassinations there increased by 800% between 2018 and 2023, and in 2023 7,800 murders were recorded and 220 tons of drugs were seized.
How do we explain the strong response of the Ecuadorian President?
The youngest president in the country’s history, Daniel Noboa (36 years old), was elected on the basis of a promise to restore security in the country. The issue of security chaos was at the heart of the recent presidential elections, which were marked by the assassination of one of the candidates a few days before the first round.
According to analysts, the current Ecuadorian president takes a tougher stance than his predecessor, Guillermo Laso (2021-2023), who engaged in a confrontation with criminal gangs, which caused an escalation in violence in the country.
How did the international community respond?
The United States, Brazil, Colombia, Chile and even Venezuela rejected the acts of violence, Secretary-General L. saidTo the United Nations António Guterres He is “deeply disturbed by the deteriorating situation” in Ecuador, a disquiet expressed by European diplomacy, denouncing the “direct attack on democracy and the rule of law”, while France and Russia advised their nationals not to travel to the country, and Peru declared a state of emergency along its borders.
