Ecuador, a once-tranquil South American country, is once again in turmoil. ** Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency and imposed a night curfew to crack down on rampant criminal groups and strengthen fragile prison controls. However, soon after the decree was issued, criminal gangs began to operate with impunity, plunging the country into chaos once again.
This week, a gang of masked assailants broke into a news studio in the capital, Quito, where a live broadcast was underway. The gangsters walked back and forth arrogantly in front of the camera with dangerous goods in hand, and even put a gun to the head of a television station worker. Although they did not cause substantial harm to the hostages, the scene was chilling enough.
This incident is just the tip of the iceberg of recent violence in Ecuador. In this country, similar incidents of violence have been staged on a regular basis, forcing people to leave their homes. Ms. Manrique is one of them. After experiencing this horrific event, she loses faith in the country and decides to leave for a distant land.
The turmoil in Ecuador is not unfounded. For years, the country has been plagued by gangs and drug cartels. The number of drug deals and cases has reached new highs, and prisons have become the hardest hit areas for criminals to carry out firefights. On the eve of last year, at least 31 people were killed in a three-day fire incident in Ecuador's largest prison. Such violence has become commonplace in Ecuador, and it happens every once in a while.
An important reason for this situation is the poor management of prisons. As the drug trade in neighbouring Colombia and Peru continues to increase, Ecuador is not immune to its role as a transit point. In recent years, the number of prisoners has been rising, while there has been a huge gap in the number of prison guards. According to international standards, there should be one prison guard for every 10 prisoners, but in Ecuador, the ratio of prison guards to prisoners is a staggering 26:1. This has resulted in a serious overload of the prison's carrying capacity and an extremely difficult management.
In such an environment, the profession of prison guard has also become extremely dangerous. Every time there is a prison riot, the prison guards are always the first to be taken hostage. Their lives are not guaranteed, making it difficult to recruit new prison guards. The existing prison guards also do not want to get into trouble and turn a blind eye to the violence of the inmates. This vicious circle has led to a deterioration in prison conditions in Ecuador.
The immediate cause of the riots in Ecuador is related to the escape of a gang leader known as Fito. This man is the leader of the well-known Ecuadorian criminal gang "Joneros", who was sentenced to 34 years in prison for drug trafficking, ** and organized crime. However, he managed to escape from prison under tight prison security, which is undoubtedly a great provocation to the Ecuadorian justice system.
When the news of Fito's escape broke, Ecuador was immediately in a panic. It is feared that the gang leader will once again form a criminal gang and cause greater harm to society. Sure enough, the day after the news of Fito's suspected escape was announced, riots broke out in six prisons in the country. These riots are a good example of the failure of Ecuador's prison system and the rampant nature of criminal gangs.
Faced with such a situation, Ecuador** felt very embarrassed. After coming to power, Noboa** promised to crack down on criminal gangs in the country, but the reality of Fito's escape from prison made his commitment pale in comparison. In order to stabilize the situation as soon as possible, Ecuador** has launched a large-scale manhunt and has vowed to arrest the escaped prisoners.
However, it will not be easy to solve the root causes of Ecuador's problems. The country needs to fundamentally strengthen the building of the judicial system and the prison management system, improve the professional quality and remuneration of police and prison guards, and attract more talented people to join the ranks of fighting crime. At the same time, there is a need to strengthen international cooperation to jointly combat transnational criminal gangs and drug cartels and cut off their funds** and sales channels.
At this critical juncture, Ecuador** needs to show enough courage and determination to meet the challenge. Only through comprehensive reform and resolute crackdown can we restore a peaceful living environment to the common people. It is hoped that Ecuador will soon be able to emerge from the shadow of turmoil and regain its former tranquility and harmony.
Looking back on the whole incident, we can't help but ask: why can a big drug lord escape from a high-security prison in today's advanced technology? Why is there such a terrible violence today, in times of peace? The answers to these questions may not be simple. In any case, we should draw a lesson from this, strengthen the building of public order, and jointly maintain a harmonious and stable social environment.