Prisons agency in Ecuador,  SNAI said earlier on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, that a group of prisoners escaped from a penitentiary in Riobamba, including accused gang member Fabricio Colon Pico, who was suspected of a plot against Attorney General, Diana Salazar Mendez.

“Seventeen of the 39 escapees have been recaptured”, the Prosecutor’s Office said.

SNAI stated further that the eleven prison guards taken hostage over the past two days have been released while 139 guards and other staff are still being held.

Unclear what the incidents entailed, authorities in Guayaquil said there were “takeover” incidents at five hospitals, but that the police and soldiers had restored order.

Recall that on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, gunmen hijacked an on-air TV program where two staffs were injured and other damages done.

Video footage on social media showed armed men on the streets, traffic at a standstill, and businesses and offices closed in major Ecuadorean cities.

Some Ecuadoreans are questioning Noboa’s efforts to control violence, which stymied his predecessor. He plans a plebiscite this year focused on security.

Violent deaths rose to 8,008 in 2023, nearly double the 2022 figure.

“The previous government declared (a state of emergency) almost 22 times without any result. They (government) have to take more drastic measures and use the police and the armed forces to put some order in the country,” said Quito resident, Marcelo Gordillo.

Also recall that the President, Daniel Noboa, had declared a State of Emergency on Monday, January 8, 2024.

Ecuadorean sovereign bonds fell on the instability.

The 2035 paper fell 1.125 cents to 36.25 cents on the dollar, while the 2030 dropped 1 cent to 48.25 and the 2040 lost half a cent to trade at 32.5 cents according to LSEG data.

Spreads widened 83 basis points to 2,039 bps in JPMorgan’s EMBIG index, reversing all the gains of the year

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