QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — At least five Ecuadorian police officers were killed Tuesday in bomb attacks in reaction to the transfers of prisoners from violent and overcrowded penitentiaries, prompting President Guillermo Lasso to declare a state of emergency in two provinces.
Ecuador is a transit point for those destined for the United States and Europe.
“What happened between last night and today in Guayaquil and Esmeraldas clearly shows the limits that transnational organized crime is in a position to overcome,” Lasso said. “We are taking measures that concern them, hence the backlash. “
Lasso, who canceled a private visit to the United States because of the attacks, has continuously used emergency declarations to try to counter the violence.
Six explosions were reported early Tuesday in several neighborhoods of the western city of Guayaquil, police said, while two officials were killed in an attack on a patrol car in the suburbs.
Three other officials were killed in and around the city later that day, police said on Twitter.
Three explosions were reported in Esmeraldas and seven officials were taken hostage by inmates to protest against the transfers of er.
Ecuador’s criminal formula has faced structural unrest for decades, yet criminal violence has skyrocketed since late 2020, killing at least 400 people.
SNAI said that so far 515 prisoners have been transferred from the Guayaquil Penitentiary, Ecuador’s most violent prison, to others in the country.
The transfers are aimed at reducing overcrowding and ensuring protection for the criminal population, he said.
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