Ecuador Declares Curfew After Druglord 'Fito' Escapes Prison Cell

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Facts

• On Monday, Ecuador’s newly-elected president, Daniel Noboa, declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew following the prison cell escape of druglord Jose Adolfo Macias, aka Fito, who is described as 'extremely dangerous.' Violence also broke out across multiple prisons in Ecuador.¹
• Fito is the leader of the powerful Los Choneros gang and is being held at Guayaquil, a maximum-security facility. His absence from his assigned area of the prison was discovered on Sunday. It's unclear how long he has been missing and if he has left the facility or is hiding in another area within it.²
• Under the curfew mandate, residents must remain inside between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. with exceptions for travel for emergencies, emergency workers travel to and from work, and individuals traveling to airports for flights departing during this time.³
• At the time of the declaration, President Noboa said he signed the decree 'so that the Armed Forces have all the political and legal support for their actions.' He went on to say, “The time is over when drug trafficking convicts, hitmen and organized crime dictate to the government what to do.”⁴
• In another government action, the prosecutor’s office announced that it has launched an investigation into the escape that has already resulted in criminal charges against two prison workers for their role in the escape.⁵
• Fito’s escape comes as Ecuador’s prisons face frequent rioting, escape attempts, and unrest. The state of emergency is likely to be the first step in several actions aimed at reducing security threats throughout the country.³

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²BBC News, ³Crisis24, ⁴www.reuters.com and ⁵www.alarabiya.net.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Barrons. Daniel Noboa has taken the helm in his presidency with the intent to end violent crime in Ecuador. He recently announced that two new prisons will be built far away from the violence centers where brutality has taken over in recent years. His long-term plan is to restore the country to the peace it saw before being overrun with drugs and violence from Columbia and Peru.
• Narrative B, as provided by Guardian. The politicians and police of Ecuador have proven that they cannot be trusted. Families and business owners are left to fend for themselves against the violent gangs that have infiltrated their neighborhoods. They are forced to pay the criminals their meager earnings and if they refuse, they must pay with their lives or the lives of loved ones. Noboa faces tremendous odds at bringing about law and order — especially when organized crime is so deeply tied to systemic corruption.

Predictions