In the wake of a string of violent attacks in the Andean country of Ecuador, police arrested 28 individuals on Wednesday as gang violence continued to escalate.
In more than 18 attacks, including shootings and explosions, at least five police officers were killed and four were injured.
"What happened between last night and today in Guayaquil and Esmeraldas clearly shows the limits which the transnational organized crime is willing to surpass," said Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso, according to Reuters.
Ecuador, which lies between Colombia and Peru – two of the largest cocaine-producing countries in South America – is a strategic transit point for drugs. Analysts believe Ecuadorian gangs use terror tactics to intimidate authorities and that the country is headed toward becoming a narco-state.
The turf wars between gangs over Ecuador's cocaine networks have put a huge strain on the country's overcrowded prison system, leading to frequent riots and clashes. Authorities say the most recent attacks were triggered by the transfer of hundreds of inmates from the penitentiary in Guayaquil to other prisons.
"We have planned a series of operations to safeguard the peace and quiet of all Ecuadorians who want to work and prosper," Lasso said in a statement. Late on Tuesday, Lasso declared a state of emergency in Guayas and Esmeraldas provinces and announced a 45-day, 9 p.m. curfew in the affected regions.
Many Ecuadorians have lost faith in the government's response and live in a constant state of fear.
Luis, a hydraulic parts dealer in Guayaquil, told The Guardian that the government's response is "really lukewarm. Trying to impose a curfew, [the criminals] will just laugh in your face."
