Ecuador has become another hot spot — for the second day, riots have been raging in this Latin American country, caused by members of drug cartels after two of their leaders escaped from prison. Tourists are advised to refrain from visiting Ecuador and traveling within the state.
Yesterday, a state of emergency and a curfew were introduced in Ecuador — from 23:00 to 05:00. All government and educational institutions have been transferred to remote work until January 12. Army units were brought in to help the police.
The authorities declared the criminals “terrorist organizations” and defined the situation in the country as an “internal armed conflict.” Law enforcement officers, within the framework of the presidential decree, are given the right to take action by the prevailing conditions.
Tough decisions were made after the riot acquired serious proportions. In the capital Quito and Guayaquil, the country’s largest city, bandits seized television studios and also attacked a university.
In addition, they robbed stores, set fire to cars, seized police stations, and shot hostages from among the security forces. In the video footage, crowds of people can be seen running away from the areas where the shooting is taking place. Information has appeared in the media that grenade launchers are used in street battles, but residents do not confirm this.
Meanwhile, as the authors of telegram channels dedicated to Ecuador note, the situation in the country is ambiguous. The epicenter of the riot is Guayaquil, with a population of 2.6 million people, and there is also unrest in Quito. But in Cuenca, popular with tourists in the Ecuadorian Andes, the situation is more stable.