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On Tuesday (Jan. 9), social media was buzzing with news out of Ecuador where masked gunmen stormed a TV station and took hostages during a live television broadcast.
According to CNN, the incident was one of many sudden criminal atrocities that occurred after one of the country’s most notorious drug lord’s, Adolfo “Fito” Macías, escaped from prison Sunday (Jan. 7). Aside from the television hosts being held captive on live TV, gunmen also kidnapped police officers off the streets and even entered the campus of Guayaquil University and began taking students hostage.
Seeing how dire the situation was becoming on the streets, Ecuadoran President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency. Noboa had the military take to the streets to curb the violence and sudden uprising from the criminal element.
CNN reports:
In response to the escape, Noboa declared a nationwide state of emergency, and more than 3,000 police officers and members of the armed forces were deployed to find Macías.
Following Fito’s escape and the declaration, Ecuador’s prison agency reported incidents in at least six prisons in different provinces on Sunday.
Criminal groups then embarked on a wave of violent attacks in a show of strength designed to discourage efforts to crack down on their activities.
At least eight people were killed in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city and also considered the most dangerous. Several police officers have been kidnapped.
Police arrested 13 people for the storming of the police station, recovering firearms and grenades.
Though things seem to have returned to normal at press time, one can only imagine how quick things can get out of hand again at any given moment especially with “Fito” still on the lam.
Check out the gunmen take over TC Televisión’s studio below. Let us know your thoughts on the situation in Ecuador in the comments section below.
