Prison Escape of Gang Leader Heightens Tensions in Ecuador

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa has declared a state of emergency for the nation after a notorious gang leader escaped from prison. This has intensified security concerns as authorities work to manage the violence of a bloody criminal turf war. José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as "Fito" and leader of the feared Los Choneros drug cartel, fled from prison in Guayaquil on Sunday. The government has deployed over 3,000 police officers and armed forces members to search for him.

The state of emergency will be in effect for 60 days and will include a nightly curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., as announced by Noboa on Monday. He also stated that security forces will have full political and legal support for their actions.

In a video announcement, Noboa emphasized that the government will no longer be influenced by drug traffickers, hitmen, and organized crime, indicating a change in approach. Fito's escape was not addressed in his statement.

Noboa, the son of a prominent banana tycoon, assumed the presidency in November after an election focused on the growing violence and deteriorating security in the Latin American country. This came shortly after the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

In a recent statement, Noboa announced that he had given the go-ahead for security forces to regain control of Ecuador's troubled prison system, stating that it had "deteriorated significantly in recent years."

Aerial view of the Regional 8 prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador, taken on January 7, 2024, as the National Police and Armed Forces carry out a joint security operation.

Ecuador, famous for the Galapagos islands and a thriving tourist economy, was once called an "island of peace" as it lay between the two major cocaine producers, Peru and Colombia.

Ecuador's extensive ports have positioned it as a critical hub for the transportation of cocaine to the United States and Europe. Additionally, its use of the dollar as its official currency has made it an attractive location for money laundering by drug traffickers.

According to Reuters, Fito was convicted in 2011 and is serving a 34-year sentence for various crimes, including drug trafficking and murder.

According to analysts interviewed by CNN, Ecuadorian gangs like the Choneros have been collaborating with foreign syndicates such as Mexican cartels, Brazilian urban gangs, and Albanian mafia cells, contributing to the ongoing conflict in the nation.

The Choneros are accused by authorities of managing Ecuador's primary prisons, which have historically been the epicenter of violence in the country. Law enforcement has faced challenges in addressing the gangs within the overcrowded prisons, where inmates frequently take over sectors of the facilities and operate criminal networks from inside the bars, as reported by authorities.

Following Fitos escape, Ecuadors prison agency on Sunday reported "incidents" in at least six prisons in different provinces.