The Latin American nation of Ecuador has been experiencing an unprecedented security crisis for several months. In the port city of Guayaquil, now under the control of drug gangs, residents are living in fear.
In Ecuador's economic capital Guayaquil, everyday life was turned upside down in early 2024. On January 9, images of a group of armed youths taking journalists hostage during a live TV broadcast went viral. The same day, several parts of the city were attacked. Guayaquil’s gangs declared war on the institutions and state of Ecuador. The government of President Daniel Noboa, who was elected in 2023, immediately declared a situation of "internal armed conflict" and imposed a state of emergency. This gave the army special powers to intervene, particularly in prisons, which had become the headquarters of the gangs.
