By Natalia Rueda 
In a dramatic turn of events, the South American nation of Ecuador has declared an “internal armed conflict” as the country becomes engulfed in a wave of drug-related violence. The situation escalated on Tuesday as armed men stormed a television channel.
The chaos began earlier this week when President Daniel Noboa announced a state of emergency in response to a series of attacks by criminal groups involved in drug trafficking. In a speech to the nation, Noboa declared that the country was facing a “grave national security crisis” and that the military would be deployed to combat these “terrorist organizations and belligerent non-state actors.”
The violence quickly spread throughout the country, with eight people killed in attacks in the port city of Guayaquil and two police officers brutally murdered in the nearby town of Nobol. Further exacerbating the situation, one of the leaders of the notorious Los Lobos criminal group, Fabricio Colón Pico, escaped from custody on Tuesday. Colón was arrested just days earlier for his involvement in a kidnapping and an alleged plot to assassinate the country’s attorney general, raising concerns about the ability of authorities to contain the spiraling violence.
As the situation unfolds, the country remains on high alert, with numerous reports of explosions, kidnappings, and car burnings in various cities. The declaration of an “internal armed conflict” and the involvement of the military in domestic matters serve as a sobering reminder of the rampant drug trade plaguing the entire region.