The entire country of Ecuador is under a heightened state of alert after countless violent and armed attacks have derailed nearly every facet of normal society.
Masked men stormed the set of a public television channel, held hostages and brandished guns and explosives during a live broadcast earlier this week. Prisoners allegedly took over a facility and executed guards by hanging and worse. There has also been a wave of abductions of police officers. The president issued a decree declaring the country entered an “internal armed conflict” following the wave of violence.
It’s being speculated that the event were sparked by apparent prison escapes of two of Ecuador’s most powerful drug and gang leaders. However, at least 20 groups were identified as “terrorist” gangs or groups in the president’s recent decry.
Check out video of the unrest below.