Armed gangs, prison breaks and on-air hostages: how Ecuador was plunged into crisis

Gangs launch deadly revenge after president declares state of emergency following escape of feared drug boss from prison

Ecuadorian police arrest several armed men who broke into the set of a public television channel after Ecuador president declares 'internal armed conflict'
About 13 gunmen were arrested after forcing employees to the floor during a live TV news broadcast
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Ecuador's gangs have unleashed violent war on the government, after the president declared a state of emergency following the escape of the country's most notorious drug trafficker from jail. 

Hooded gunmen carrying grenades and dynamite burst into a public TV station yesterday in Guayaquil, the country's economic capital, and forced employees to the floor during a live news broadcast. A woman was heard pleading, "Don't shoot, please don't shoot!",  before the signal cut out after 15 minutes. 

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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.