Ecuador Violence Underscores Expansion of Mexican Cartels

Ecuador Violence Underscores Expansion of Mexican Cartels
Soldiers patrol outside the government palace during a state of emergency in Quito, Ecuador, on Jan. 9, 2024. Dolores Ochoa/AP Photo
Autumn Spredemann
Updated:
0:00

A startling escalation of violence by criminal gangs in Ecuador last week has triggered a crackdown against the rapidly expanding cartel activity in the small South American nation.

After a group of armed men overwhelmed a television studio in Guayaquil during a Jan. 9 live broadcast, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa quickly declared an “internal armed conflict” against 22 transnational terrorist groups and local drug gangs.
Autumn Spredemann
Autumn Spredemann
Author
Autumn is a South America-based reporter covering primarily Latin American issues for The Epoch Times.
twitter
Related Topics