Ecuador Declares State of Emergency After Five Officers Killed, Allegedly by CJNG - Who Released a Threatening Message

This is a translation of an article originally published by Diario de Yucatan on November 1, 2022, written by EFE news agency.

The president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Guayas and Esmeraldas, after a total of 12 explosive attacks occurred in the aforementioned provinces.

The outbreak of violence, which left two policemen dead [number of officers dead is now five] and three others wounded, was reportedly related to the upcoming transfer of prisoners at a penitentiary in Litoral, a location within Guayas province.

What happened in Ecuador?

Between the night of Monday, October 31 and the early morning of Tuesday, November 1, there was a sudden outbreak of violence in Guayas and Esmeraldas, including armed confrontation between police and criminals, as well as explosions and the burning of cars.

Police commander Fausto Salinas denounced the incidents in a press conference, saying "the vile and cowardly attacks” which took place during the early hours of the morning. He said the acts began around 11:00 pm on Monday and continued into the early morning hours of Tuesday.

Police officers investigate a crime scene where a body is spotted on the ground after the explosive attacks in Guayas and Esmeraldas on Nov. 2, 2022. Photo Credit: REUTERS

The outbreak of violence was unleashed at the exact same time as a prison riot in the Esmeraldas prison over the scheduled transfer of certain inmates to other facilities. Seven prison guards were taken hostage and later released.

Video Source: Minuto & Medio

According to the EFE news agency, Commander Salinas told reporters that four individuals detonated explosive devices on a roadway and inside of a vehicle, then they set fire to a vehicle. 

Evidence photo of one of the explosive devices found.

Later, another vehicle was burned and explosive devices were thrown near a police patrol vehicle. Then two men were seen throwing explosive devices at a gas station, which damaged the building. EFE also detailed similar attacks to the inside of a school bus. 

Following the wave of violence, the President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso canceled a scheduled trip to the United States that was planned for November 2-6. The president announced that he was “declaring a state of emergency in the provinces of Guayas and Esmeraldas, and a curfew of 9pm.”

Frame from the video message released by President Lasso in which he declared the state of emergency for the two provinces.

A presidential press release stated that Lasso "will continue to lead the frontal fight against the threat posed to the country by drug trafficking and organized gangs".

Who caused it? 

So far, Ecuadorian authorities have not officially attributed the attacks to a specific organized crime group, but the president confirmed that it was "transnational organized crime".

Police stand next to a car that exploded near the bus terminal in response to ongoing prisoner transfers done as part of a government plan to reduce overcrowding in the country's prisons, in Pascuales, on the outskirts of Guayaquil, Ecuador November 1, 2022. Photo Credit: REUTERS

Meanwhile, on social networks the group Cupsfire, who are described as a "fusion of journalists and emergency information enthusiasts" shared a photo of pamphlets signed by the Jalisco Cartel - New Generation, which they claimed were found outside the RTS television channel.

It reads, in part "If you come to touch our people who are in Units 8 or 9 of the Litoral penitentiary, know that we are going to use all of our logistical power, military weapons [...] and all of our troops that we have gathered over these long years and believe us, they are not few in number.”

The letter was addressed to Ecuador's President and to the director of the Prisons & Youth Offender Department (SNAI), Guillermo Rodriguez.

A banner presented in law enforcement slides from April 2021, after the arrest of two Tiguerones members in Guayas province.

In addition to the CJNG, the letter was also signed by criminal gangs "Los Lobos" and "Los Tiguerones" and it concluded with a threat of a three-day "armed attack" if the inmates were relocated.

Another photo of the banner.

What is a state of emergency?

Following the outbreak of violence in the two provinces of Ecuador, President Lasso declared an estado de excepción, or a state of exception [equivalent to the English phrase “a state of emergency”]. This is a legal recourse stipulated in the constitution of several countries in situations of conflict that partially or totally "suspends" the rights of citizens.

Similar to martial law, the estado de excepción stipulates that the government has the right to defend its own constitutionality if it's under attack, thus, it authorizes law enforcement to take control of the area where the conflict is taking place and restore peace.

Police officers investigate the crime scene where several police officers were killed. Photo Credit: REUTERS

In his message this Tuesday, Lasso described the violent acts of the last hours as "a declaration of open war against the rule of law, the government and the citizens" and said that the forces of law and order will "act with toughness, within the boundaries of the law".

People react at the crime scene where several police officers were killed in Guayaquil. Photo Credit: REUTERS

"The forces of law and order are going to intensify actions [...] be careful with using human rights appeals to cover crime", warned Lasso.

Photo Credit: REUTERS

He also stated that the military and the police "intervened the penitentiary in Litoral (Guayaquil) and seized weapons, ammunition, explosives and illegal communication systems". He confirmed that the government will seek to "put an end to the criminal leadership within the Esmeraldas and Guayaquil prison sites.”

Source: Text is a translation, with minor edits, of an article from Diario de Yucatan

Further Reading: Ecuador's Los Tiguerones

Additional Photos

In the María Piedad sector, in the center of the Durán canton, two members of the National Police were shot to death with a weapon that was possibly a rifle. The police officers were aboard when they were attacked. Photo: API

A police officer looks at a bullet-riddled police car at a crime scene where colleagues were killed in Guayaquil, Ecuador on Nov. 1, 2022. Photo Credit: REUTERS

Police officers inspect the scene after an attack with explosives against a post of the Community Police Unit (UPC) in Guamote, Guayaquil, Ecuador, on November 1, 2022. (Credit: GERARDO MENOSCAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Police officers cover a crime scene where colleagues were killed in response to prisoner transfers from overcrowded prisons, prompting President Guillermo Lasso to declare a state of emergency in two provinces, in Guayaquil, Ecuador November 1, 2022. Photo Credit: REUTERS