By Laura Gamba
BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Police in Ecuador said they have arrested several armed men who broke into the set of a public television channel Tuesday during a live broadcast and forced the staff to lie and sit on the floor as shots and yelling were heard in the background.
“The police operation at TC Television left 13 people arrested, weapons, explosives and other evidence,” Ecuador’s police chief, Cesar Augusto Zapata, said on X.
Zapata confirmed that the hostages were released and “taken to safety” and described the incident as a “terrorist act.”
The post included images of several men with their hands zip-tied behind their backs.
Shortly after the masked armed men interrupted the live broadcast, President Daniel Noboa issued a decree declaring that the country had entered an “internal armed conflict.” The decree designated 22 drug trafficking gangs operating in the country as terrorist groups.
“I have ordered the Armed Forces to carry out military operations to neutralize these groups,” said the president.
Other violent incidents played out across the country on Tuesday.
Professors and students at the University of Guayaquil took shelter in classrooms after a criminal organization took over the facilities.
The Ministry of Education announced the suspension of on-site classes nationwide, decreeing a switch to the non-face-to-face modality throughout the national educational system as a result of the security crisis.
Local media outlets also reported armed individuals at a hospital in Guayaquil.
The declaration of an internal conflict occurred one day after Noboa declared a state of emergency for 60 days throughout Ecuador due to a serious prison and security crisis that the country is experiencing.
The decision was made after one of the country’s most dangerous gang leaders was reported missing from prison on Monday, triggering a series of riots in at least six prisons in the country.