Ecuador president says country is at war as gangs hold prison staff hostage
QUITO, (Reuters) -
Ecuador President
Daniel Noboa said yesterday that his country was "at war" with drug gangs who are holding more than 130 prison guards and other staff hostage, amid a dramatic surge in violence that saw gunmen briefly take over a TV live broadcast and explosions in multiple cities.
Noboa on Tuesday named 22 gangs as terrorist organizations, making them official military targets. The president took power in November pledging to tackle a growing security problem caused by a rise in drug-trafficking gangs transporting cocaine through Ecuador.
"We are at war and we cannot cede in the face of these terrorist groups," Noboa told radio station Canela Radio on Wednesday. He estimated that some 20,000 crime gang members are active in Ecuador.
The hostage-takings, which began in the early hours of Monday, and the apparent escape of Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macias from prison over the weekend, spurred Noboa to declare a 60-day state of emergency.
He hardened the decree on Tuesday after a series of explosions around the country and the cinematic takeover of the TC television station by balaclava-clad gunmen live on air.
The government has said the latest wave of violence is a reaction to Noboa's plan to build new high-security prisons for gang leaders. Noboa told the radio station a design for two new facilities will be made public tomorrow.
"We are making every effort to recover all the hostages," Noboa said, adding that the armed forces have taken over the rescue effort. "We are doing everything possible, and the impossible, to get them safe and sound."
The SNAI prisons agency has said guards account for 125 of the hostages, while 14 are administrative staff. Eleven people were freed on Tuesday, it said.
Videos circulating on social media showed prison staff being subjected to extreme violence, including being shot and hanging. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the videos.
Noboa said the country will begin to deport foreign prisoners, especially Colombians, this week to reduce prison populations and spending.
There are some 1,500 Colombians in prison in Ecuador, Noboa said, and prisoners from Colombia, Peru and Venezuela account for 90% of jailed foreigners.
"We are investing more on those 1,500 people than on school breakfasts for our children. It's not an extradition, it's based on previous international agreements," Noboa said.
Ecuadorean sentences would only be recognized in Colombia if prisoners arrive via formal repatriation, agreed with Colombian authorities, Colombian Justice Minister Nestor Osuna told journalists. If Colombian prisoners are simply expelled, they would only be jailed if they have charges pending at home.
"If there is an expulsion we'll look at how many people, if they arrive at the border, really need to be detained by Colombian authorities," Osuna said, expressing his "genuine solidarity" with the Ecuadorean people.