A group of gunmen interrupted a live broadcast by Ecuadorian television station TC on Tuesday amid chaos across the country after a convicted gang leader disappeared from his prison cell.
Videos of the incident, which were shared on social media, show staff members of the station in Guayaquil, Ecuador, lying and sitting on the ground of the set while several individuals wearing face coverings and brandishing firearms take over the broadcast.
In one clip shared to X, formerly Twitter, a man can be seen pleading with the gunmen while firearms are pointed toward his neck. Other footage showed some of the gunmen assaulting staff members while they sat on the ground with their heads in their hands.
Ecuador's national police force shared photos and videos to X of its officers responding to the TV station, and said that several suspects linked to the armed interruption had been captured. Reuters reported that law enforcement made 13 arrests connected to the incident, citing Guayaquil police.
The incident follows a 60-day state of emergency declared by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on Monday after Adolfo Macias, leader of the criminal group Los Choneros, disappeared from his prison cell in Guayaquil. The state of emergency deploys military personnel across the country and sets a national curfew.
At least seven police officers have been kidnapped by gang members in three different cities since the state of emergency was declared. Explosions and prison disturbances have also been reported across the country, according to Ecuador's penitentiary service, which said that six "incidents" occurred at prisons on Monday.
A massive escape of prisoners was also reported at a jail in Riobama early Tuesday morning, including that of Fabricio Colón Pico, alleged gang leader of Los Lobos, according to city Mayor John Vinueza. Ecuador's prison agency told CNN that 12 inmates have been recaptured out of the 38 that escaped.
Ecuadorian broadcaster La Voz del Tomebamba also shared footage of gunmen storming the University of Guayaquil on Tuesday. Newsweek reached out on Tuesday to the press office for Ecuador's national police force via its contact form online for more information.
Amid the chaos, Ecuador's police also warned citizens of false reports of kidnappings and gunmen incidents in the nation's capital of Quito on Tuesday. Law enforcement encouraged the public to only follow information shared by official sources.
In response to Tuesday's incident involving the broadcaster TC, Noboa declared an "internal armed conflict" and ordered security forces to "neutralize" several criminal groups, including Los Choneros, which the president identified as a terrorist organization. Noboa won Ecuador's runoff election in November and campaigned on promises to crack down on his country's rising crime rate.
Update 1/9/24, 5:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and background.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Kaitlin Lewis is a Newsweek reporter on the Night Team based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her focus is reporting on national ... Read more
