On Tuesday, a group of masked men armed with guns and explosives invaded a television studio in Guayaquil, Ecuador, during a live broadcast.
according to ABC News, 13 men armed with pistols and sticks of dynamite entered the TC Network set during a live newscast. Sounds like gunshots are heard as men shout that they have a bomb.
Fortunately, no one was killed, and all those wearing masks were arrested and charged with terrorism. Under Ecuadorian law, those convicted of terrorism face up to 13 years in prison.
“I'm still in shock,” TC Television News Director Alina Manrique told The Associated Press in a phone interview. She said, “Everything has fallen apart. … All I know is that it's time to leave this country and go somewhere far, far away.”
Manrique was in the control room at the time of the incident when the men burst into the building. The attack was broadcast live, but the station's signal was cut off after 15 minutes.
Ecuador has faced a series of attacks in recent days, including the abduction of several police officers after Adolfo Macias, the leader of the notorious Los Choneros gang, escaped from prison over the weekend. . On Monday, Ecuador's President Daniel Novo declared a national state of emergency, allowing authorities to suspend people's rights and mobilize the military in prisons and other areas.
Immediately after the incident at the TV station, President Noboa issued another decree designating 20 drug-trafficking organizations operating in the country as terrorist organizations and authorizing the Ecuadorian military to “neutralize” them under international humanitarian law. I put it out. He also said that the country is currently experiencing a major crisis. Domestic armed conflict.
On Tuesday, Ecuadorian authorities announced that Fabricio Colon Pico, another gang leader in the Los Lobos gang, had escaped from a prison in the town of Riobamba. He was previously arrested on Friday during a kidnapping investigation and was also suspected of trying to kill one of the country's chief prosecutors.
In light of Tuesday's events, Will Freeman, political analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations, shared that Ecuador is experiencing a high rate of violence across the country, no matter the circumstances.
In the past, gangs have assassinated presidential candidates and detonated car bombs in front of government buildings.
“This is a turning point,” Freeman said. “Depending on the government's response, these types of incidents will either set a precedent for what will continue, or serve as a springboard for much-needed structural reforms for the nation to begin winning the war on crime. Let’s go.”
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributor to Christian Headlines and host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sound doctrine and Biblical truth. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary.
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