Trouble On the Coast and Mafia Carnage

Ecuador shocked by the murder

of a presidential candidate 11 days

before the presidential election.

Gunmen shot presidential candidate

Fernando Villavicencio three times in

the head in an assassination outside

a Quito high school today. At least ten people

were shot, including one gunman, who

the authorities said was killed in the

crossfire with security forces.

Villavicencio, 59, was a member of the

national assembly until it was dissolved

temporarily this year by Presidente Lasso.

He was among the leaders in polling in the

presidential race and was one of the

most outspoken critics standing up to

organized crime. He had been a journalist

and activist before being elected to

national office.

The shot and wounded include two policemen

and a candidate for national assembly.

Witnesses said there were several security

guards present at the time of the shooting.

Villavicencio was leaving a rally at Colegio

Anderson in northern Quito and entering

a vehicle when the gunmen opened fire.

Less than three weeks ago, gunmen

assassinated Mayor Intriago of the coastal

city of Manta.

Sources... The New York Times,

www.cuencahighlife.com

AP reports that police in Quito have

arrested six additional suspects after

raids in the capital in what the

New York Times had called Ecuador's

first-ever assassination of a

presidential candidate. Gabriel García Moreno,

who was the incumbent president in 1875,

was assassinated that year in Quito

by a small group of killers wielding

knives, machetes and revolvers.

Presidente Lasso has confirmed that

the perpetrator(s) of Wednesday's attack

were connected to crime cartels and

he has vowed that the parties responsible

will be brought to justice.

Principal news source... Associated Press

Impact on the election.

Presidente Lasso and other leaders have

decided the snap presidential election

will still be held on August 20, 2023.

Most of the seven remaining candidates

have suspended their campaign events.

A First Cry of Independence ceremony

planned for this Friday has been canceled.

El Presidente has declared a three-day

mourning period and a state of emergency.

Source... www.cuencahighlife.com

The Colombia connection.

The authorities today announced they have

identified the six suspects now in custody in

yesterday's assassination as Colombia nationals.

In 2021, 18 Colombians were arrested for the

murder of the president of Haiti, Jovenel Moise,

in his home .. and the 18 are still in custody.

Source... The New York Times

@cccmedia ..."The Colombia connection... in custody."... Good to hear. ... glad to see the Ecuadorean government taking these negative influences seriously.

@cccmedia re: "Declaration", is there a translation  issue somewhere? Google turns "Excepcion" into "Emergency"...but should it?

https://www.eluniverso.com/noticias/ecu … 5kYJj6o7zU

The conspiracy that led to assassination.

The authorities have revealed that four

Ecuadorians have been arrested for aiding

the plot that led to this week's assassination.

Those arrested allegedly shared detailed information

about Sr. Villavicencio's plans and movements

at the school where the killing occurred.

Six surviving suspects from Colombia were

earlier charged in the plot to take out the

presidential candidate.

Police agencies from Ecuador, Colombia and

the USA have been participating in the

investigations.

Source... www.cuencahighlife.com

💜🌺🇪🇨 If asked; Is Ecuador safe? Yes. The reality in Cotacachi, Imbabura is Yes... as are most towns and cities in the Andes… Crime is concentrated mostly on the coast, and even there it is mostly centred around prisons, and poorer neighbourhoods after dark. Just like anywhere in the world, including the US, use your better judgment, learn areas to avoid not to go and take reasonable precautions. Yes there are heightened tensions in Quito following the attack and it is likely a good idea to avoid venturing beyond the centres in bigger cities leading up to and during the elections…

However, ignoring the sensationalism the International media love to present to the world, and sticking to the facts;

The Ecuadorean military and national police are being particularly effective; Capturing drug shipments, finding and detaining suspects, investigating and removing corrupt prison officials and guards who were assisting the gangs in detention (which appears to still be the major extent of their presence)… The seven Colombians involved in the attack were quickly captured, one of them killed, and investigations are already tracking down other collaborators among the Colombian and Mexican cartels, as well as Ecuadorean criminal wannabees (as CCCMedia notes)...

Ecuadors government just released a fact sheet about the perpetrators of major crimes and violence in the country, and over 70% are committed by Colombians and other foreigners entering from adjacent South American countries. Efforts are underway to do a better job of investigating those crossing the border.

Ecuador is making it very unpleasant for the Colombian and Peruvian cartels, and this is their attempt to push back. Nonetheless the environment for foreign gangs and criminal organizations appears to be weakened by the partnership between the intelligence and enforcement agencies of many South American countries and the US FBI and DEA all working hard together to purge the cartels. Ecuador remains one of the few countries where it is more profitable for farmers to grow food than it is to grow coca or other drug crops. In this respect the government, indigenous, and environmental groups have a far more Cooperative relationship than they might like to admit lol. But compared to Columbia or Peru where a loss of control for years is only now slowly being over come, Ecuador is in a good position to reverse the tide.

Ecuador is doing a good job of protecting the nations agricultural sector from the invasion of cartel influence despite limited resources that are only now being renewed and modernized... border and airport security technology has been recognized as a major focus for upgrade. Enforcement and government intervention in Ecuador has not (yet) approached the extreme measures of El Salvador, but local collaboration between the police and citizens security brigades have decreased crime in a number of major centres, particularly in Cuenca for instance.

The local shock at Isolated but tragic occurrences like the recent assassination highlight Ecuadorean unfamiliarity with this kind of violence, which in itself should be encouraging to visitors, but makes a point that efforts need to be stepped up to secure Ecuador's place as an oasis in a chaotic South America. All in all, I am very encouraged by the progress Ecuador and other neighbouring countries are making. 🙌💜🌺🇪🇨🚨🚔

I wonder what the Conaie have in store for us post-election, depending on who wins.

A political operative killed on the Coast.

A political leader named Pedro Briones, who was

working for the party associated with ex-presidente

Rafael Correa, has been killed, less than one week

after presidential candidate Villavicencio's assassination.

The death of Briones in Esmeraldas was confirmed by

the head of the party, Luisa Gonzáles, who is the frontrunner

in the presidential race ahead of Sunday's elections.

Details concerning the death of Briones have not

been immediately released by the authorities.

Source... www.cuencahighlife.com

Unfortunately,there was the murder of an American woman and the assault on her father and husband, in southern Ecuador, south of Loja,in Rumishitana.  A few months ago.  They were the only estranjeros living in Rumishitana, I think. This makes you wonder.

I currently live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, US. I leave Sept. 30 for my new life in Cuenca. Perhaps I am reading things wrong but I still believe I am moving to a safer city. That does not mean one does not pay attention and take precautions. Awareness and not allowing oneself to become an "easy" target are paramount.

There is a recent study out that lists Louisiana as the having the highest rate of gun violence in the US. That just about means the highest rate of gun violence outside of war zones.

Also one would be foolish not to realize that the cartels operating in South America or their collaborators also operate where their markets are.

United States has agreed to provide equipment, training and funding to assist the Ecuadorian Air Force track and intercept aircraft suspected of transporting illegal drugs; almost all drug air deliveries arrive from Colombia and are destinated for Ecuadorian ports. In addition, the U.S. will provide services to Ecuadorian law enforcement agencies and the judicial system.

Source: CuencaHighLife

Is coastal violence spreading to

the Ecuadorian interior?

From a news report in The New York Times:

"Ecuador's plague of violence is felt almost

exclusively on the coast, around the port cities

of Guayaquil, Manta and Esmeraldas.

"Communities in the country's Andean region

have largely escaped the drug violence. The capital,

Quito, has had an increase in murders but other

crimes have actually declined.

"The country's third largest city, Cuenca, remains

one of the safest cities in the region."

Source.... "How the drug cartels and weak government

brought violence and chaos to Ecuador," in The New

York Times, and reprinted under this title at

Cuenca HighLiife, dated August 18, 2023.

@cccmedia . Re: "How the drug cartels and weak government brought violence and chaos to Ecuador,"... I think it's worth going into the articles details on just how both the Correa and Moreno, governments failed Ecuador:

"The roots of Ecuador’s travails lie largely in a shifting drug market and a government ill-equipped to handle it. Ecuador's homicide rate actually dropped under former president, Rafael Correa, who governed from 2007 to 2017, through increased policing and a commodities boom that helped lift millions out of poverty.

But Mr. Correa, in 2009, also decided:

- not to extend the lease for a U.S. military base in the port city of Manta used to fly planes to interdict drugs

- he cut ties with the U.S. State Department’s international narcotics agency.

The expulsion of U.S. forces hampered Ecuador’s ability to control its northern border with Colombia and eased the distribution of drugs in the country. (now only counteracted to a lesser degree by the cooperation between South American countries and the American FBI and DEA, in sharing information, and supporting judicial, and enforcement against the cartels)

His successor successor, Lenín Moreno:

- prioritized paying off the country’s foreign debt

- imposed austerity measures and budget cuts that further weakened the nation’s security apparatus.

- He eliminated government agencies, including the justice ministry

- slashed spending on policing and prisons, sectors seen as “expendable”

Domestic and foreign groups took advantage of a country whose ability to take on narcotrafficking had been undermined by the cuts to the police and military, a weak justice system and a penal system largely run by gangs. An economy that uses dollars as the local currency and weak financial controls also made it easier to launder drug money.

A special intelligence unit created during the Correa administration to gather information about drug trafficking in prisons gave privileges to certain inmates in exchange for information. The practice led to more cocaine seizures outside the prisons, but also increased the power of gangs (who now control the prisons instead of prison administration and guards, and provida a base in Ecuador for gang leaders to direct the illegal activities of their members and associates outside the prisons).

At the same time, Ecuador’s government has largely failed to take even rudimentary steps to address the security crisis; Many police officers do not carry guns or wear bulletproof vests, and many prisons lack metal detectors. Some radar installations along the coastline used to detect ships and planes carrying drugs are damaged, and the ports do not have surveillance equipment that can be used to detect hidden cocaine shipments.

Mr. Lasso has been criticized for a plodding and inefficient response to the security crisis, but on the other hand, it's apparent the wave of violence was a response to increased government pressure on crime groups, including more drug seizures and moving many gang leaders to maximum-security prisons; “This shows the strength of the state’s response.”

Trouble in Turi.

Los Lobos gang has taken control of El Turi prison

in the Cuenca area.

The Lobos had operated primarily on the Coast,

but their members were transferred to El Turi,

to the consternation of Cuenca's mayor, who says

the transfers broke an agreement and created the

current dangerous situation.

Conflictiing reports have emanated from the prison,

so it is unclear what is going on inside.

Ecuadorian authorities have positioned men

around the perimeter of Turi prison.  There is

no apparent plan to rush the prison as that could

create more carnage.  An unknown number

of Turi prison guards are being held inside.

Source... www.cuencahighlife.com

Hey guys. So my girlfriend and I were thinking of spending a few months in Ecuador coming November 1 through January. We are from California. We are both obviously American and will be traveling around with backpacking packs. We are both worried about the violence in Ecuador. Our itinerary is located in multiple regions.

We are thinking of flying into Quito and spending a few weeks in Banos. After Banos we wanted to head to the coast (but we need to find a very safe area where we can reside for a while without fear of violence, robbery, and death). Can someone help us choose a safe area on the coast? We then head back to Quito for a while and go to Galápagos Islands after for a few weeks. After that we are coming back to Quito again. Then we fly to Costa Rica.

im worried that this trip is a bad idea and that we shouldn't come at all. Anybody have a take on that?

Are there trusted buses and taxis that we won't have to worry about. I'm very cautious, so I'm worried about being robbed or murdered. What bus companies are recommended for the long treks to and from the coast. What are the worst areas of Quito?

can someone help me get my head screwed on straight? I just need advice.

Here are my thoughts about your trip...

1) Avoid the provinces where the majority of the

violence has occurred, namely Guayas, Manabí and

Esmeraldas.

2) Limit your time in the coastal areas. A week is

more realistic than a month.

3) While in Ecuador, pay attention to the news

reporting at www.cuencahighlife.com and-or

other English-language websites.

---

As for the worst areas in Quito, avoid South Quito

neighborhoods.  Do not climb on foot the streets

leading up to the famous statue at El Panecillo.

Avoid intercity travel at night,

cccmedia

It hasn't worked out for a certain Expat in Ecuador.

Don Shader, who has been putting out videos

from coastal Manta for two years, says he is

throwing in the towel on Ecuador.

It hasn't worked out for Don, "The Grumpy Griingo,"

according to a video he produced and posted last week.

The coastal violence, the recent assassinations and a desire

to know more of the world -- all these things have

been on Don's mind in deciding to consider other

places.

Hiigh on his list for a potential move is Uruguay,

where things are relatively more peaceful out of

harm's way.

Don previously lived in Cuenca, but now, he says,

he won't consider living anywhere in Ecuador.

Source... Don Shader on YouTube

@cccmedia Re: "The Grumpy Griingo," ... NOT a view I share. I respect the personal decision he has made for himself, and I respect that he expresses his personal experience and view of Ecuador on his own blog site.

My experience is different… and much more positive. I am not just hopeful but assured (eyes open, not just rose coloured glasses) by my own research, personal experience, and my own subjective view of the current situation, overall living standards, political and social will to improve and be inclusive, crime rates, social order, political stability, and potential for Ecuador compared to countries elsewhere in the world.

An individuals personal experience can be good or bad. It can be guided by actual events; In their neighbourhood with real impact on their lives, or far away with only the potential for making an impact on their lives. Or can be guided by perception of events and "word about town". In all cases a person can focus on the negative and ignore the positive or vice versa. It comes down to personal perception, and personal choice: pessimistic or optimistic.

For me nothing has changed from my previous posting in this thread: "Is Ecuador safe? Yes.". Will I join the rest of Ecuador in holding the government, and national police, and the citizens of Ecuador themselves accountable as a fellow citizen-immigrant to work together to fix the issues and improve on the challenges? Absolutely yes.

Personally, I am both optimistic and assured by both the reality and the potential for Ecuador as my continuing forever home.

@ I have recently been to Uruguay and actually have three friends there. It is a very nice enjoyable country and at the moment certainly is quite quiet. But there are a few things to think about. It is a very small country from a population perspective, actually making Ecuador look huge. It is in a location that is not so simple to get from A to B as many other places in South America, although one can get ferries to Buenos Aires easily. There really only is the one airport that I am aware of in Montevideo and it is small. Further It Is by no means the least expensive place to live in South America, not being excessively expensive but certainly not cheap. It does have a vibrant culture especially in the Arts and it has some very nice beach life.  Definitely visit first before moving!

I think I read in the comments that Don has already ruled out Uruguay and is taking a look at Argentina.

Assassination investigation:  All six suspects slain.

All six of the surviving suspects in the Villavicencio

assassination were murdered on Friday afternoon

at the Litoral prison.  All these men were identified

as natives of Cali, Colombia, and apparently were

interviewed extensively by the authorities

in the two months since the assassination.

They had been arrested in Quito

hours after the killing of the presidential

candidate.

It's believed the Caleños were multiple layers

removed from the party or parties that ordered

the Villavicencio hit .. and were killed in order to

silence them going forward.

Source... www.cuencahighlife.com

Another death in another prison.

Hours after Friday's carnage at Litoral prison

in metro Guayaquil, on Saturday morning

the authorities reported that a seventh

suspect was found murdered at a prison

near Quito.

President Lasso, traveling in New York,

has decided to cancel a trip to Korea and

return to Ecuador, vowing to get to the

bottom of the latest carnage.

..

Some Ecuadorians who are surviving suspects

in the Villavicencio investigation are being

transferred within the prison system to

get them out of harm's way.

Source... The Washington Post

Note that there are apparent discrepancies

between the CHL and Washington Post

accounts, especially regarding the number

of surviving suspects.

@cccmedia well, he is grumpy.

@Jean-Robert145156 😅 touche'

Banana boats can be used by money-launderers.

Criminal gangs have been buying near-bankrupt

banana companies in Ecuador to launder money

and control the transportation of cocaine to

Europe.  Drug trafficking and

money laundering are the top criminal activities

on the coast of Ecuador.

"We have verified the growing presence of

Albanian citizens in Manta and Machala

where they buy banana companies that are about

to go bankrupt," said a researcher for Ecuador's

Observatory of Organized Crime.

--

Currency controls in cocaine-producing countries

such as Colombia are a barrier to money laundering.

However, because Ecuador's currency is U.S. Dollars,

such controls are not a barrier to money laundering.

The flow of Dollars contributes to the rising number

of violent crimes in Ecuador.

Source... www.cuencahighlife.com

I hate to hear all this bad news.  I read about a huge cocaine haul found in a shipment of bananas from Ecuador so it does not come as a surprise.  i understand the situation is really affecting Costa Rica now too.  How many families have to bury one of their own before the $$ becomes not worth it.  Bringing economic prosperity to these communities is not an easy task or quick solution, and compared to the kind of money being thrown around by the cartels…  Ecuador could spend a lot of money on tighter security protocols along the routes but the threat of corruption that money can buy, or the fear that your head will be blown iff or worse if you dont play along makes that scenario seem a fool’s errand.  God Bless anyone who can come up with a solution…

U.S. to Fund Ecuador's participation in the "Organized Crime Rewards Program" that seeks the participation of citizens in the fight against organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism. Ecuador became the fourth country in the region to join the program "to denounce (report) drug traffickers who threaten the country's security. Other beneficiary countries are: Colombia, Peru and Panama.

To this end, the 131 telephone line was set up, which will be available to all mobile and fixed operators in the country. It will facilitate the obtaining of anonymous and verified information to solve crimes. The Call Center is staffed by police and military agents who receive the information and redirect it to the investigative units.

Once the information is verified, the case will be referred to the U.S. Southern Command for approval of the payment of the reward.

Source: ElMercurio

https://elmercurio.com.ec/2023/10/17/ee … compensas/

Los Lobos TACTICS.

The Lobos gang took over five Ecuadorian prisons

on Wednesday, demanding the inter-prisons transfers

of some inmates.   An undetermined number of guards

and prison personnel were taken hostage, some of them

later released.

Somewhat normal order has been restored at the prisons

at the Cuenca, Loja and three other incarceration locations.

  -- Cuenca High Life, based on prison authorities' statements

About a ton of cocaine seized near Galapagos; it was being transferred in a boat that was sailing within Ecuador's jurisdictional waters surrounding the Galapagos Islands, according to the Ecuadorian Navy and Police.

The operation was carried out in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard and led to the arrest of the three crew members of the vessel, Ecuadorian nationals, about 300 nautical miles (1,089 kilometers) northwest of Wolf Island.

https://elmercurio.com.ec/2023/11/30/co … s-ecuador/

Police officer accused of homicide on the job found not guilty; The Court of Criminal Guarantees of Cotopaxi issued a favorable sentence to Francis Alexander Vivas, a police lieutenant accused of homicide 4 years ago, and was found innocent in acts of service.

The sentence was handed down on the morning of Thursday, December 7, 2023, and was described by the Ministry of the Interior as an "important sentence for the 58,000 brave police officers who face crime and organized crime on a daily basis."

With this ruling, the Ministry added that the actions of the uniformed officers "are legally supported."

On June 9, 2019, Vivas responded to a security call in La Maná where two men were fighting because one had murdered the other's father.

The police officer tried to separate the men and the alleged killer tried to attack him with a knife, but Vivas used his firearm and the man died.

The uniformed officer was charged with homicide.*

https://elmercurio.com.ec/2023/12/07/po … -inocente/

*Ecuadors judicial and enforcement laws are evolving to support its national and community police forces in tackling crime and cartel drug operations in the country. This represents a substantial transitioning away from former policies that sought to curtail corruption and infiltration of cartel influence from Columbia and Peru on Ecuador's government, courts and law-enforcement agencies; Up until now limiting police use of firearms as a means of preventing the country from becoming a police state, and help Ecuador minimize the crisis' of loss of civilian–police trust to the extreme extent to be found in neighbouring countries like: Venezuela, Brazil, Columbia, Peru, etc.

Corruption of prosecutors and judges

alleged by U.S. ambassador.

The U.S. ambassador to Ecuador has publicly

alleged that drug traffickers have been paying off

prosecutors and judges so as to corrupt the

arresting and sentencing of bad actors.

The ambassador, Michael Fitzpatrick, also alleged

that Ecuadorian soccer teams have been used to

launder drug proceeds of international drug traffickers.

Fitzpatrick made the allegations at a U.N. conference

held at the Universidad de las Américas.  He did not

name the soccer teams allegedly involved, but did say

that some team managers are aware of the laundering

activity.

Fitzpatrick wants to see the incoming Noboa administration

take steps to prevent the money laundering and the

corruption of police and prosecutors from getting worse.

---

A state comptroller was named last week to investigate

suspicious transactions.  The post had been vacant for

four years.

Source... www.cuencahighlife.com

Dozens arrested in prison corruption raids.

In an operation announced by Ecuador's attorney general,

31 allegedly corrupt officials and shady attorneys have been

arrested for the takeover by criminals of the criminal-justice

and prison systems.

The raids in seven provinces, collectively known as

Operation Mestastasis, targeted Mexican cartels and criminal gangs that were

taking over government agencies and the judiciary.

The raids were partly based on information that sheds light

on the assassination of the mayor of Manta and the

Villlavicencio murder, which was the assassination of one of

the leaders of Ecuador's recent presidential race.

More details are included in the article at

www.cuencahighlife.com on which this post is based.

Of particular interest as a sidenote to these reports is that former president Correa has implicated himself in the background dealings and organization of the corruption in Ecuadors government, military, prison officials and police. This by revealing he is still in unofficial contact with various levels of Ecuadors police and judicial organizations from his exile in Europe, and being made aware of the impending raids and arrests by unknown (?) informants prior to their implementation; it was discovered that Mr. Correa is in turn notifying / forewarning  (by social media posts) a number of those corrupt officials, army and police officials and service members about to be investigated and / or arrested, who as a result are currently evading apprehension and trial.

Ecuadors security authorities announced that during the December festivities, the National Police and the Armed Forces will carry out joint operations as part of the "Security Block" plan. There will be surveillance in commercial areas and tourist areas. In this way, it seeks to confront crime. The controls will be in sectors with the greatest conflict, according to the Balanced Scorecard (CMI) and the indicators of violence and crime.

The joint operations began on November 25 in the country;

"With the Security Bloc we have operated in the Nueva Prosperina District, Southern District of Guayaquil, Durán, Esmeraldas, Manta, Quevedo and Machala."

"We had results that had a direct impact on violent deaths, we had an average of 2.8 deaths per week, now we are at 0.5, that is, violence decreased. Likewise, 40 people were arrested for different crimes, 13 firearms were seized and 14 vehicles reported as stolen were recovered,"

Head of the Joint Command of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces, indicated that for the Christmas and New Year's holidays, personnel from the institution and the Ecuadorian Navy will be deployed to control beaches and bays. There will be coordination with the National Police to patrol the beaches. The military will carry out controls on weapons, ammunition and explosives; while the National Police will maintain its security and prevention work.

https://elmercurio.com.ec/2023/12/20/op … -nacional/

El Presidente presents the nation

a referendum aimed at curbing

the bad actors of the drug-trafficking

industry on the Coast.

Presidente Daniel Noboa has presented ten referendum

questions for the people of Ecuador to weigh in ..

with the principal objective being to combat the

lawlessness that has plagued the Ecuadorian coast

which has become a hub for international

drug trafficking and violence in recent years.

Among the referendum initiatives is a question about

allowing the Ecuadorian military to expand its

anti-crime efforts in coastal areas and elsewhere.

Detailing these questions is beyond the scope of

this post, so we refer you to the Cuenca Highlife

article dated January 4, 2023, where such details

can be found.

---

An 11th referendum question about re-legalizing

gambling (beyond the current lottery) is discussed

at the Ecuador forum thread titled Re-Legalizing

the Casinos of Ecuador.  That thread is clickable

at the welcome page of the forum, and/or

by using the searchbox function at the

welcome page.

News source... www.cuencahighlife.com

When will Ecuadorians vote on

El Presidente's referendum questions?

The referendum list was sent to Ecuador's

Constitutional Court on Tuesday, which can

allow, reject or amend the questions in the

next 20 days.

According to the Cuenca Highlife site,

the public will get to vote on the questions

within 60 days after the Constitutional Court

weighs in.

Emergency declarations and discussion of

plans to cut gang leaders off from their 'capos'.

El presidente has been issuing emergency declarations

expanding the military's powers in the streets and

public places.

The declarations have stirred up the prison population.

Two gang leaders escaped from prison this week.

Dozens of guards and prison staff have been taken

hostage.

Gang members took over a Guayaquil TV station for

15 minutes, holding station employees as temporary

hostages and going on camera J-6 style.

A strategy such as El Salvador has used, separating

trafficking leaders from communicating with their

underlings including by incarcerating the leaders at sea,

is under discussion.

The details of this week's violence goes far beyond

what is described above in this post .. and is beyond

the scope of the post.  For more details, read the

latest news articles in the English-language e-publication

Cuenca HighLife.

Source... www.cuencahighlife.com

Curfew 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

One of the president's emergency declarations imposes

a six-hour overnight/nightly curfew in Ecuador.  The declaration

is scheduled to last 60 days.

The invasion of the TV faciility was at a state-owned

television network during a newscast in progress.

Heavily armed men forced network personnel to lie on

the floor during the incident, which was broken up by

special forces who made 13 arrests of the alleged

bad actors.

Credit... The Guardian, Associated Press and Reuters