Fragility in Ecuador’s Security Highlighted by Car Bomb Attacks and Prison Hostage Situations

Ecuador’s precarious security environment was brought into sharp focus on Thursday following a sequence of car bomb detonations and the imprisonment of over 50 law enforcement personnel within multiple penitentiaries. These incidents occurred just a few weeks after the nation was jolted by the murder of a presidential aspirant.

The Ecuadorian National Police announced that the four blasts in Quito, the capital city, as well as in a province adjacent to Peru, led to no casualties. Interior Minister Juan Zapata also confirmed that none of the captive law enforcement officers, detained in six distinct prisons, had sustained injuries.

Government officials indicated that these audacious activities were the criminal factions’ response to the reassignment of several prisoners, along with other actions executed by Ecuador’s correctional services. The offenses took place three weeks subsequent to the assassination of Fernando Villavicencio, a candidate running for the presidency.

The nation’s correctional institution, formally known as the National Service for Attention to Persons Deprived of Liberty, has recently struggled to maintain governance over large correctional facilities. These prisons have been arenas for tumultuous uprisings that have claimed multiple lives. As a mitigation strategy, the system has resorted to transferring inmates to alleviate gang-related conflicts.

In Quito, the initial explosion erupted on Wednesday evening near a building that formerly housed the country’s corrections office. A subsequent blast unfolded early on Thursday, in the vicinity of the institution’s present headquarters.

Gen. Pablo Ramírez of the Ecuador National Police, the national overseer of counter-narcotics probes, disclosed to the media on Thursday that investigatory efforts uncovered gas cylinders, combustible materials, fuses, and sticks of dynamite amid the rubble at the Quito crime scenes. The vehicles involved were a compact car and a pickup truck.

Explosions in the El Oro communities of Casacay and Bella India employed gas tanks, according to the authorities.

In Cuenca, a city that hosts one of the affected prisons, the fire department reported an explosive device being triggered on Thursday evening, causing damage to a vehicle. No further particulars were offered.

Zapata revealed that among the hostages in the prisons, seven are police officers, while the remainder are prison guards. A video authenticated by Zapata depicted a police officer, identifying himself as Lt. Alonso Quintana, imploring authorities “not to enact measures that compromise the rights of incarcerated individuals.”

Ecuador has experienced a surge in violence over the past three years, attributed to a power vacuum that was instigated by the 2020 murder of Jorge Zambrano, also known as “Rasquiña” or “JL,” the former head of the Los Choneros gang. This group is involved in contract killings, extortion schemes, narcotics trafficking, and prison dominion.

Los Choneros, along with other factions connected to Mexican and Colombian drug cartels, are in a struggle for control over drug distribution networks and territorial dominance, including within penal facilities where no fewer than 400 inmates have lost their lives since 2021.

Villavicencio, the slain presidential candidate, was well-known for his uncompromising position on organized crime and corruption. He had implicated Los Choneros and its currently incarcerated leader Adolfo Macías, also known as “Fito,” in threats against him and his campaign team prior to his murder.

Wagner Bravo, Ecuador’s Security Secretary, spoke on FMundo radio, suggesting that six relocated prisoners may have connections to the murder of Villavicencio.

Pabel Muñoz, the Mayor of Quito, expressed his aspirations for swift and effective judicial action while speaking on Teleamazonas television. “We will not capitulate. Let there be peace, tranquility, and safety among the populace,” he stated.

The Ecuadorian National Police recorded 3,568 violent fatalities in the first half of this year alone, markedly higher than the 2,042 reported during the corresponding period in 2022. Last year concluded with 4,600 violent deaths, the highest ever recorded in the country and twice the number documented in 2021.

Guayaquil, a port city, has emerged as the nucleus of this violence, but Esmeraldas, a city along the Pacific coast, is also categorized as highly perilous. Earlier this week, six government vehicles were set ablaze in Esmeraldas, according to official reports.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Ecuador’s Security Crisis

More about Ecuador’s Security Crisis

• Ecuador’s National Police
• Profile of Interior Minister Juan Zapata
• Overview of Ecuador’s Correctional System
• Biography of Assassinated Presidential Candidate Fernando Villavicencio
• Los Choneros Gang: An In-depth Analysis
• Recent Crime Statistics in Ecuador
• Guayaquil: The Epicenter of Violence in Ecuador
• Wagner Bravo, Ecuador’s Security Secretary: Roles and Responsibilities
• Interview with Mayor of Quito, Pabel Muñoz
• Understanding the Drug Cartels in Ecuador
• Official Reports on Violent Deaths in Ecuador
• Security Measures in Ecuador’s Prisons
• The Power Vacuum in Ecuador’s Criminal Landscape
• Crime and Violence in Esmeraldas
• Ecuador’s Struggle with Organized Crime