QUITO.- Within the framework of the declaration of “internal armed conflict” in Ecuador, the authorities reported the arrest of at least 70 people linked to alleged terrorist acts. This group includes the 13 hooded intruders responsible for the assault on the TC Televisión channel in Guayaquil, an event that shook the South American country.
The actions carried out by the police have resulted in the release of three kidnapped police officers, the recapture of 17 escaped prisoners, and the seizure of explosives, cartridges, weapons and vehicles in operations carried out nationwide. The magnitude of these arrests reflects the seriousness of the situation facing Ecuador.
While citizens shelter in place in their homes, police and military patrols are deployed in the streets, seeking to restore normality in a country affected by twenty organized crime and drug trafficking gangs, now considered terrorists.
The arrest of these people marks a milestone in the response of Daniel Noboa’s government to the spiral of violence. It is expected that the authorities will deepen the investigations to determine the links of these individuals with the acts of terrorism and their possible connection with the gangs responsible for the security crisis in the country.
The raid on the television station in Guayaquil, witnessed live by thousands of Ecuadorians, was the catalyst for this government response. With the signing of the decree that declares the internal armed conflict, the aim is to contain and neutralize organized crime and drug trafficking gangs, considered a threat to national stability.
Source: With information from AP
