Gunfire was heard in the background, but police said no one was injured. Security forces arrested about 10 of the alleged attackers, some of whom appear to be members of the authorities Los Tijirones and Los Lobos gangs, senior intelligence officials told The Washington Post.
Police said the seizure of the television station was one of several attacks the country had witnessed within 24 hours, including the explosion of about 30 cars and the kidnapping of seven police officers. Riots also broke out in several prisons, with reports of dozens of guards being detained by armed men.
Intelligence officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details, told the Washington Post that the attacks appeared to be coordinated.
Two intelligence officials, from the police and the armed forces, told The Washington Post they believed the operation was orchestrated by the Los Lobos cartel — and may have been intended to send a message to the government that was planning to transfer the cartel's top leaders to the extreme. Security prison wards.
On Monday, President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency after a major gang leader escaped from prison. In his decree issued Tuesday, Noboa directed the military to intervene in the escalating crisis and declared several gangs terrorists.
As chaos spread in Guayaquil, the presidential complex in the historic center of Quito, the capital, was evacuated.
So far, no deaths or injuries have been reported, leaving the impression that Tuesday's attacks were primarily intended to create fear.
Intelligence analysts said the attacks may have stemmed at least in part from a recent investigation into links between drug traffickers, criminal gangs and political operatives, a process known as metastasis. About two dozen senior security officials and judges were arrested last month for alleged criminal activities that benefit drug traffickers.
Ecuador has faced a historic wave of violence in recent years, as the country becomes a crucial transit point for cocaine and gangs compete for control of drug routes and prisons. Noboa was sworn in late last year, promising to take control of the country after a deadly election cycle: Fernando Villavicencio, who was running for president on promises to crack down on links between criminals and politicians, was assassinated as he was leaving his campaign. Massive days before the first round of voting. Seven suspects in his murder were later found dead in prison.
The declaration of a state of emergency, a tool frequently used by Noboa's predecessor, came after the prison escape of Jose Adolfo “Vito” Macias Villamar, a convicted murderer and head of Los Choneros, a powerful gang said to be collaborating with the Sinaloa Cartel to kill Noboa. Transporting cocaine to the United States.
