Ecuador is reeling from a surge in gang violence, sparked by the attorney general's narco-corruption probe, 'caso metastasis', announced by Ms. Salazar. The investigation has led to a violent response from gangs, characterized by car bombings, shootings, arson, and prison riots. Amidst this turmoil, a propaganda war has emerged, with the Ecuadorian military releasing footage of their operations, including the demolition of a prison wall to free hostages. The violence has also impacted researchers and academics, and raised questions about the effectiveness of a Bukele-style military approach to gang control. The crisis has been exacerbated by the US and Europe's cocaine consumption boom. Gang members have targeted the media, with an attack on Ecuador’s state broadcaster, and the military has conducted raids to restore order. The unrest has led to prisoners, including gang leaders, escaping jails.
Thousands of military and police officers raided Ecuadorian prisons in a bid to put an end to the unprecedented violence. They were searching for weapons, ammunition and explosives (but ended up seizing liquor as well) https://t.co/tLHK68Swh2
Last week witnessed days of unrest in Ecuador as two gang leaders escaped from prison and violence has erupted across the country. https://t.co/SOgLXPmskw
Dozens of prisoners escape Ecuador jail amid continued military operations https://t.co/OXo88MHMtb https://t.co/t3ppRpRQ9s
Soldiers and police guarded the streets in downtown Quito, Ecuador, while security fences blocked access to streets near the government palace days after a wave of violence hit the country https://t.co/3X7GCYvmYu
Ecuador's turmoil is intrinsically linked to the cocaine consumption boom in the US and Europe, says @JPSpinetto https://t.co/XCq5lMAOKQ
Replicating El Salvador's hardline approach to gangs may not have the desired effect in Ecuador. @narcosis_0 👇 https://t.co/IolvHsyD5g
Ecuador's military raids prisons to restore order after week of violence Follow us on Rumble: https://t.co/Nuc9nUzlmx https://t.co/DvDzqrhkJx
'Ecuador previously had one of the lowest homicide rates in Latin America but, having become a transit hub for cocaine, this has increased ninefold since 2017.' Is a military crackdown really the answer, asks @narcosis_0 👇 https://t.co/IolvHsyD5g
Masked gang members broke into the studio of Ecuador’s state broadcaster and began firing at staff and taking hostages. @TariqNafi reports on the country’s gang violence crisis and why the media has become a target. https://t.co/PmpuqhpL29
Ecuador's turmoil is intrinsically linked to the cocaine consumption boom in the US and Europe, says @JPSpinetto (via @opinion) https://t.co/hST26PRD6Q
I talked to the Times of London about why a Bukele-style approach to Ecuador’s gang problem probably wouldn’t work. The big difference? Ecuador’s gangs sit on some of the most valuable narco-trafficking routes in Latin America. https://t.co/bulGvMASTr
VIDEO: Gunmen storm live TV studio and take hostages in Ecuador after president orders national emergency over criminal gangs https://t.co/l4TU0WjoCf https://t.co/0tS1uvQBQp
The explosion of criminal activity that shocked Ecuador last week, including car bombings, shootings, arson, and prison riots, has also shaken the country’s researchers and academics. https://t.co/bO84Puub2O
Video released by the Ecuadorian military shows what it says was the demolition of a wall as part of an operation to free prison staff held hostage by inmates https://t.co/ZVEew95AVs https://t.co/sdKnUdB4Rb
Ecuador's Gangster Insurgency Amid the gang uprising and military fight back in Ecuador, there's been a propaganda war. The video from gangs, government and public gives this brutal episode an abundance of footage. I use it for this video explainer here https://t.co/trpKM8jvN0
“‘Narco-politics has been revealed in Ecuador,’ Ms. Salazar said as she announced the arrests that were made.” A stellar NYT piece on ‘caso metastasis,’ the attorney general’s narco-corruption investigation, which provoked a violent response from gangs. https://t.co/k4fkp6wgGJ