Armed police seized back control of a state-owned TV station in Ecuador after gunmen tried to hijack the channel and threatened to shoot presenters live on air.
The South American country is at risk of tipping into civil war after a string of violent incidents on Tuesday.
President Daniel Noboa has ordered the army to ‘neutralise’ 20 drug gangs with heavily armed mobsters parading hostages and threatening to execute anyone found on the streets at night.
At least 10 people have been killed while elsewhere and seven police officers were kidnapped, with several explosions reported around the country.
Noboa, who took office in November promising to stem drug trade-related violence, declared a 60-day state of emergency on Monday in response to prison violence - including hostage-takings of guards by inmates - and the apparent escape of Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macias over the weekend.
In a revised decree on Tuesday, Noboa recognized an “internal armed conflict” and identified nearly two dozen gangs as terrorist groups, including Los Choneros.
On Tuesday gangs stormed the state-owned TC Television in the port city of Guayaquil with video showing them holding staff hostage for hours while pointing shotguns at their heads as they pleaded ‘please don’t shoot’.
Police were later able to re-seize control of the channel. They said their operation resulted in the confiscation of explosives and guns, and police social media posts showed young men with their hands zip-tied behind their backs kneeling on the floor.
“All hostages were freed ... the perpetrators will confront justice and be sentenced for terrorist acts,” the police said on X.
Further footage showed three kidnapped officers sitting at the ground with a gun pointed at them as one visibly terrified policeman read a statement that read: “You declared war, you will get war. You declared a state of emergency. We declare police, civilians and soldiers to be the spoils of war.”
The statement added anyone found on the street after 11pm “will be executed”.
The government has said the violence is a reaction to Noboa’s plan to build a new high security prison and transfer jailed gang leaders.
“Today’s events show that the actions and decisions taken by the national government are gravely affecting criminal structures, and as an answer they have created a wave of violence to frighten the populace,” Admiral Jaime Vela, head of the joint command of the armed forces, said after a security meeting with Noboa and other officials.
