Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency and imposed a 60-day curfew across the country due to serious internal unrest in several prisons.
Noboa said the measure is based on the actual situation of violence and criminality affecting the country, including the prison system, where serious disturbances are occurring that undermine the system.
The declaration of a state of emergency came after reports circulated about the alleged escape of Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, alias Fito, the countrys most-wanted drug trafficker and leader of the Los Choneros gang, from a prison in Guayaquil, the capital of Guayas province.
The Ecuadorian President who assumed power on Nov. 23, 2023 said that he gave clear instructions to the army and police force to regain control over the prisons that had been "has been lost in recent years."
The president added that the security crisis in the country is evidence that things must change, and that the laws in force are not enough for Ecuadorians to live in peace.
