Ecuador: There was panic in the city of Guayaquil when some armed people entered the studio of a TV channel during live broadcast. They tried to scare people by showing guns and explosives during live broadcast. On this, President Daniel Noboa immediately ordered military action against the attackers.
Armed with guns and what looked like sticks of dynamite, the men burst into the studios of TC Television in the port city of Guayaquil and began shouting that they had bombs. Sounds resembling bullets were heard from behind. A woman was heard saying amidst the sound of gunfire, don’t shoot, please don’t shoot.
The intruders forced people to lie on the ground and could be heard screaming in pain after the studio lights were switched off. However, the live broadcast continued. It is not yet clear whether any station employee has been injured or not. Meanwhile, a TC employee said in a WhatsApp message that masked people are on air. They have come to kill us. Please God don’t let this happen.
Armed men break into a live TV studio in Ecuador, day after president announces state of emergency. A state of emergency began in Ecuador after a convicted gang leader vanished from the prison.pic.twitter.com/1wTqtV6DbX
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) January 9, 2024
It is noteworthy that several attacks have been carried out in Ecuador on Sunday in the wake of the escape from jail of a powerful gang member. The gang has declared war. A few hours later, the President declared the country in a state of ‘internal armed conflict’. Seeing the worsening of the situation, the President had decided that he would declare a state of emergency in the country. On Monday, Noboa ordered a state of national emergency for 60 days. After this the government also imposed curfew from 11 pm to 5 am.
Ecuador, long a peaceful haven between top cocaine exporters Colombia and Peru, has seen much violence in recent years as rival gangs with ties to Mexican and Colombian cartels battle for control. Shortly after the gunmen attacked the TV station, Noboah designated 20 drug trafficking gangs operating in the country as terrorist groups.
“I have ordered the armed forces to carry out a military operation to neutralize these groups,” Noboa wrote on social media. Soon after, Ecuador’s national police chief said authorities had arrested all the masked infiltrators. . The guns and explosives possessed by these people have been confiscated. However, he did not say how many people have been arrested.
