In a significant crackdown on organized crime, the Ecuadorian government has taken the drastic step of seizing and destroying a massive haul of cocaine. A total of 22 tons of cocaine, a substantial amount indicating the scale of the drug trade in the region, was eradicated by the authorities. The destruction of the narcotics involved pulverizing the cocaine and mixing it with cement, sand, and glass, a method aimed at ensuring the drugs are rendered unusable. This action comes amid escalating violence and power struggles in Ecuador, as drug trafficking organizations gain extraordinary influence in the country. Prosecutors in Ecuador are also grappling with serious challenges, including murder and obstruction, as they strive to combat corruption and the deep-seated influence of drug lords. The situation has become so dire that comparisons are being drawn to Pablo Escobar's era in Colombia, with Ecuador now in a state of emergency due to the pervasive control of drug gangs. Violence has even spilled over into cities like Cuenca, traditionally considered safe, with incidents such as burning cars signaling the gangs' extensive reach and the strain on government resources.
🇪🇨 #Ecuador | Burning cars appeared in the normally safe streets of Cuenca over the past week. Other “secure” cities in Ecuador also saw violence, highlighting how the vast reach of the gangs could stretch government resources thin in the ongoing war. https://t.co/y50b4fvUs0 https://t.co/6w34ZHwkAa
Ecuador is in a state of emergency. Not since Pablo Escobar’s tyrannical reign from Medellín has a South American country found itself so tightly in the grip of drug gangs https://t.co/oXim2K4Qhv 👇
Can Ecuador free itself from the grasp of the drug lords? https://t.co/kMuG5sXdeb
Prosecutors in Ecuador are facing murder and obstruction to clean up the rot in the state. Can the country free itself from the grip of the drug lords? https://t.co/vWgwAdj57t 👇
🇪🇨In interview with @eluniversocom John Walsh, WOLA’s Director for #DrugPolicy & The Andes, discusses the extraordinary power that organized crime groups have gained in #Ecuador as drug trafficking increases in the context of global #prohibition. https://t.co/QVeMZrT5d1
Ecuador police destroy more than 20 tons of cocaine by pulverizing the drug and mixing the powder with cement, sand and glass https://t.co/hVcmauWAWW https://t.co/7cWqwZcMa7
🇵🇪 #Peru #IllegalMining | Peru’s largest subterranean gold mine has faced unprecedented and increasingly violent attacks from mining gangs in the La Libertad region. Could this security situation spread to other mining regions? Read our analysis here: https://t.co/zRJY9SkhnZ
Ecuadorian government begin the destruction of 22 tonnes of seized cocaine. Read more: https://t.co/9QNVyDbNzB https://t.co/HnnMab3HQp
21.5 tonnes of cocaine destroyed as Ecuador battles organised crime https://t.co/ofyXuPHrov
Ecuadorian government takes unprecedented action, seizing and eradicating 22 tons of cocaine https://t.co/HgP0t44xKI https://t.co/KinUcljeJq