State of Emergency in Ecuador: TV Station Stormed, Explosions, Kidnappings, and Hostage Situations

Ecuador's police announced today, Tuesday, that criminals have kidnapped at least four police officers and that explosions have occurred in several cities, just one day after President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency. Reports indicated that armed individuals stormed the official television station during a live broadcast. Noboa declared the state of emergency yesterday, Monday, using a measure previously employed by his predecessor with little success, for a duration of 60 days to enable military patrols and impose a nationwide nighttime curfew. This action was in response to the disappearance of Adolfo Macias, the leader of the Los Choneros criminal gang, from the prison where he was serving a 34-year sentence, as well as incidents in six prisons, including the hostage-taking of prison guards. The police reported today via social media that three police officers on night duty were kidnapped from their post in the city of Machala in the south of the country, while a fourth individual was abducted in Quito. The police added, "These actions will not go unpunished."