Turmoil in Ecuador

[pueblo]

More...possibly staged?

[Bill Ryan]

Wow. I never heard about any of this, but I expect there'll be much more tomorrow in the English language newsletter I receive daily. Here's what it reported this morning, which is doubtless the precursor to today's events:

Days after his arrest, Los Lobos gang leader escapes on first night of national emergency

Three days after he was arrested, Los Lobos gang leader has escaped from prison in Riobamba. The escape came hours after President Daniel Noboa declared a national emergency following a series of prison riots on Monday.

Los Lobos gang leader Colón Pico during his Friday arrest.

According to Riobamba prison management, the prison break followed a day of disturbances in which prisoners took over two areas of the prison. Although Pico was being held in a separate area, fellow Los Lobos prisoners were able to free him. In total, 39 inmates escaped.

(... the article continues)

[mizo]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
Wow. I never heard about any of this, but I expect there'll be much more tomorrow in the English language newsletter I receive daily. Here's what it reported this morning, which is doubtless the precursor to today's events:

Days after his arrest, Los Lobos gang leader escapes on first night of national emergency

Three days after he was arrested, Los Lobos gang leader has escaped from prison in Riobamba. The escape came hours after President Daniel Noboa declared a national emergency following a series of prison riots on Monday.

Los Lobos gang leader Colón Pico during his Friday arrest.

According to Riobamba prison management, the prison break followed a day of disturbances in which prisoners took over two areas of the prison. Although Pico was being held in a separate area, fellow Los Lobos prisoners were able to free him. In total, 39 inmates escaped.

(... the article continues)

There's quite a bit of publc turmoil happening in various parts of Ecuador and I' ve seen some horrific clips being shown on Twitter this evening. Just want to add - Stay safe Bill !

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/MyLordBebo/status/1744841761946579290

https://x.com/baronitaigas/status/1744840661805699501

https://x.com/301military/status/1744825939551293788

https://x.com/301military/status/1744832890066633154

https://x.com/witte_sergei/status/1744842336260247911

¤=[Post Update]=¤

https://x.com/301military/status/1744842138074988780

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/djuric_zlatko/status/1744845730689196527

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
https://x.com/witte_sergei/status/1744842336260247911

Here's the text of that tweet:

While everyone was tunnel posting, Ecuador slipped into a state of civil war. Reports of police being abducted and executed around the country.

This (at least!) is pure dramatic nonsense. As best I know, several other reports are wildly exaggerated as well. Big Serge, who is a Russian blogger, has been an excellent military analyst of events in the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. But he knows little about Ecuador.

Many Twitter and Telegram channels are going to be jumping to report (and amplify!) any rumors they happen to hear. That's how social media works these days.

I'll post a detailed update tomorrow morning (maybe 12-13 hours from now) with what's actually been happening. Meanwhile, to offer a true flavor of what's being reported nationally, here's the translated latest update of one of the several major media platforms here.

• https://elmercurio-com-ec.translate...._x_tr_pto=wapp

[Ravenlocke]

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744862590746984764

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744845640436174941

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744844784257081495

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744847661742625097

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744829144414773445

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
https://x.com/witte_sergei/status/1744842336260247911

Here's the text of that tweet:

While everyone was tunnel posting, Ecuador slipped into a state of civil war. Reports of police being abducted and executed around the country.

This (at least!) is pure dramatic nonsense. As best I know, several other reports are wildly exaggerated as well. Big Serge, who is a Russian blogger, has been an excellent military analyst of events in the Special Military Operation in Ukraine. But he knows little about Ecuador.

Many Twitter and Telegram channels are going to be jumping to report (and amplify!) any rumors they happen to hear. That's how social media works these days.

I'll post a detailed update tomorrow morning (maybe 12-13 hours from now) with what's actually been happening. Meanwhile, to offer a true flavor of what's being reported nationally, here's the translated latest update of one of the several major media platforms here.

• https://elmercurio-com-ec.translate...._x_tr_pto=wapp

The reference to civil war might be because of this?

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744834351357903315

[Ravenlocke]

Two Jet Blue flights to Ecuador one from New York, one from Florida were cancelled

https://x.com/CensoredMen/status/1744837087772238159

[Lunesoleil]

My participation after the media spread the news in France
https://lunesoleil23-wordpress-com.t...en&_x_tr_hl=fr

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
I'll post a detailed update tomorrow morning (maybe 12-13 hours from now) with what's actually been happening.

As promised. Everything's totally peaceful, quiet and 100% normal where I am. Here are two comprehensive local articles:

1. https://cuencahighlife.com/calm-retu...nment-response
2. https://cuencahighlife.com/noboa-ele...led-by-inmates

Calm returns following Noboa’s ‘shoot to kill’ order; Former opponents voice support for government

The National Police command reported a “return of normality” for most of the country early Wednesday morning. “Most sectors did not experience elevated criminal activity overnight,” the command said in a statement. “There were several incidents in Quito and Guayaquil but these may not be connected to the criminal gang activity of Monday and Tuesday.”


Chief of Ecuador’s Joint Military Command, Jaime Vela, said deployment of the armed forces is underway.

No incidents were reported in Cuenca Tuesday or Tuesday night following the detonation of three explosive devices in garbage cans Monday night. The calm came after Cuenca Mayor Cristian Zamora and Azuay Province Prefect Juan Cristóbal complained of “public hysteria” created by rumors Tuesday afternoon. As in most of the country, schools, public offices, businesses and public transportation suspended operations early in the city.

In Tuesday night messages, most public and private offices and schools announced they would not open Wednesday and would conduct business and classes virtually.

On Tuesday afternoon, President Daniel Noboa raised the level of the national emergency following Monday’s and Tuesday’s violence. He claimed Ecuador was in a “state of internal armed conflict” and authorized the police and armed forces to “shoot to kill” gang members committing criminal acts. In his order, he named 21 criminal gangs he called “enemies of Ecuador.”
Following his orders, military personnel took to the streets in the country’s larger cities, including Cuenca.

In a news conference after Noboa’s announcement, Chief of Ecuador’s Joint Military Command, Jaime Vela, said the armed forces stood ready to “fight the terrorists.” Flanked by Government and Interior Minister Mónica Palencia, Defense Minister Giancarlo Loffredo and Public Administration Secretary Arturo Félix, Vela announced that the deployment of military personnel was underway around the country.

Vela concluded his prepared statement by exclaiming: “Vinceremos,” or “we will win.”

Noboa’s revised orders received widespread public support, including from former opponents. Among those expressing support were former presidential candidate Jan Topic, former president Rafael Correa, leader of the Social Christian party Jaime Nebot, Guayaquil Mayor Achiles Alvarez, Quito Mayor Pabel Muñoz and former government minister Paula Romo.

Noboa elevates national emergency level following new violence; Turi prison still controlled by inmates

President Daniel Noboa has elevated the status of Monday’s national emergency, claiming the country has entered a state of internal armed conflict. The new decree authorizes deployment of the armed forces and National Police into the streets and other public areas to “neutralize criminals and terrorists.”


An announcer is held at gunpoint Tuesday afternoon at TC Television studio in Guayaquil.

Noboa’s original declaration, issued Monday afternoon, put the military and police on standby alert with orders to respond to local events as needed.

In Tuesday’s order, Noboa named 21 gangs he labeled as “public enemies of Ecuador.” Among the gangs are Los Choneros, Los Lobos, Los Chone Killers, Los Tiguerones, Latin Kings and Los Aguilas.

The new declaration follows Monday night violence that continued into Tuesday. Tuesday’s events were concentrated in Guayaquil and Esmeraldas, where more explosions were detonated and cars set on fire. In the day’s most dramatic gang attack, armed members of the Los Tiguerones gang invaded the studios of state-owned TC Television in Guayaquil, holding broadcasters and staff hostage for about 15 minutes before police came to the rescue. Gang members were briefly pictured on live tv, waving firearms and machetes while their captives sat and lay on the floor. Police captured 13 of the attackers. One tv station employee was injured in the incident.


Army troops began moving into Cuenca’s historic district Tuesday afternoon.

Throughout the country, public offices, businesses and schools sent employees and students home as a precautionary move. In Cuenca, public schools located near the Turi prison suspended classes while businesses in the historic district closed early following the circulation of rumors that proved false. The Universities of Cuenca and Azuay also suspended classes. Police say no violent incidents have been reported in the city since Monday night, when three explosions caused minor damage on city streets.

Late Tuesday, a police officer patrolling a mostly empty Parque Calderon, said Cuenca had suffered a case of “mass hysteria” based on news from other parts of the country and rumors of local bombings.

Social media reports of bombings at the 9th de Octubre and 12 de Abril markets and at the government building on Parque Calderon were debunked by officials.

National Police report that most of the Turi prison remains under the control of inmates, with 49 guards and administrative employees being held hostage. Hostages are also being held in two other prisons.

[DNA]

I'm reading on Stew Peter's reporting the capitol of Ecuador was stormed.

https://stewpeters.com/video/2024/01...storm-prisons/

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by DNA (here)
I'm reading on Stew Peter's reporting the capitol of Ecuador was stormed.

https://stewpeters.com/video/2024/01...storm-prisons/

More wild, sensational nonsense.

Here's the local (reliable!) English-language report for this morning:

• https://cuencahighlife.com/as-terror...stal-provinces

As ‘terrorist’ arrests pass 300, police and military concentrate on three gangs in five coastal provinces

Police and military personnel have arrested 329 alleged gang members since Tuesday, Armed Forces Chief Jaime Vela reported Wednesday afternoon. “These men are members of three terrorist organizations, Los Tiguerones, Los Lobos and Los Choneros,” he said, adding that operations “are just beginning.”


Joint police and military operations have resulted in more than 300 arrests of members of criminal gangs as of Wednesday afternoon.

In addition to the arrests of gang members, Vela said the joint police and military operations have captured 28 inmates who escaped Monday and Tuesday from three prisons.

Vela said six suspected gang members have been killed in gunfights during the raids while one police officer was wounded. “During the missions, we have seized dozens of weapons, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, 200 cars, illegal drugs and a large amount of cash,” he said.

The sweep for gang members is concentrated in six coastal provinces, according to Vela: Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Guayas, Manabí, Esmeraldas and El Oro. “These are the areas where the gangs are concentrated and where they commit the most crimes,” he said. “We are also increasing control of the routes used by narco traffickers for the transport of drugs from Colombia and Peru. We are patrolling the border entry locations.”

Vela and National Police Commander Cesar Zapata acknowledged that the raids on gang strongholds involve high levels of risk. “When we go into their territory, we understand the risks we are taking and are prepared for it,” Zapata said. “The gang members are armed and are not accustomed to being confronted on their home turf.”

Zapata described a gunfight in the Guacharaca parish of Esmeraldas Province Wednesday, where a house used by Los Choneros was burned down by police. “Our objective was to make arrests and destroy the gang headquarters,” he said. “We encountered gunfire, which we returned. We understand we are at war with these people and will proceed accordingly.”

According to Zapata, police continue to be gang targets, reporting that two police died on patrol in Guayas Province. “These are very dangerous times for law enforcement personnel,” he said. “Our objective during the emergency period is to reduce the danger not just for police but for all citizens of Ecuador.”

Zapata said talks are continuing with prisoners holding an estimated 130 hostages in three prisons. “We hope to gain their release soon and the hostages tell us they are being treated well,” he said. He said that thousands of police and military personnel are stationed around six prisons to prevent escapes and to protect the public.

Vela and Zapata said that the designation of 22 gangs as terrorist organizations by President Daniel Noboa clarifies the mission for police and the army. “This is a military operation with the very clear objective of taking down the enemy,” said Zapata. “This is not a mission against common crime.”

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Posted by DNA (here)
I'm reading on Stew Peter's reporting the capitol of Ecuador was stormed.

https://stewpeters.com/video/2024/01...storm-prisons/

More wild, sensational nonsense.

I should expand on my comment, which was made when I was in quite a big hurry — my sincere apologies.

Peters is of course 100% right to be highly concerned about armed criminal gangs from a number of South American countries invading and infiltrating the US.

My comment was because he (like many others in the alt media) is believing that there's a 'civil war' in Ecuador (NO), that there's some kind of terrorist 'coup' in progress (NO), and that there's panic, rioting, and civil unrest everywhere (NO).

And Peters referred to Ecuador as a 'banana republic third world country', which is so far from true it's really a giant facepalm. . (I've heard this from some other alt media commentators as well, including Alex Jones, all of whom should know better.)

For sure, Ecuador has a drug gang problem, almost entirely in a few coastal towns and cities, but exactly the same issue in the US is far worse and far more deeply ingrained.

Regarding everything else here (as I've shared a few times) this is the healthiest, most benign environment I've ever been in, the Ecuadorian people I know are super-pleasant and friendly (competent and honest, too), and I keep my doors and windows open night and day and never lock a thing. That's what's irritating about uninformed hyped reports like Stew Peters'. And he's far from alone.

~~~

I wrote to a friend a couple days ago, who had understandably been concerned:

It's really made me think about the role of social media in over-dramatizing much of what we absorb every day. That old adage comes to mind about only realizing how inaccurate all news reports must be when they feature something you actually witnessed.

Thinking even more about this, I suspect that what's often the case with many alt media platforms (including MANY on Twitter and Telegram) is that they're small, home-based operations that just don't have the time or resources to check out information from all over the world as it floods into them every day.

So all they can do is quickly re-report things, and add what comments they feel they can often based on really a very thin amount of information.

The exceptions to this that I feel I can couch for include Judge Napolitano and his cadre of highest-quality guests, Alexander Mercouris and The Duran, and Clayton and Natali Morris at Redacted. I know that all of those spend hours every day carefully checking out the information that comes to them.

But many others just don't have the time or capacity to verify or research further what they report. What this does lead to is a proliferation of fake, incorrect, or exaggerated news items in the alt media. (Some is quite innocent, some maybe not so.)

All this needs a thread of its own, I suspect. The alt media may not be as reliable (or trustworthy, not quite the same thing) as we sometimes want to believe it is.

But I also do know that working together here at Avalon, we all do our collective best to examine, verify and dig more deeply into what comes at us every day.

I'm regularly told by many guests who kindly email me that they fully trust Avalon as a reliable source of both news and analysis, and while we're pretty tiny compared to the behemoths out there I'm proud of what together we're able to present to the world here.

[Ewan]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

The alt media may not be as reliable (or trustworthy, not quite the same thing) as we sometimes want to believe it is.

Amen to all of the post, but the part quoted?

Surely not many Avalon members are unaware of this. Accepting what you read on alt-media at face value is just like being the average joe who gets his info from the
"Nine 'o' Clock News" and/or the headlines in the papers.

That said, there is still a lot of guff posted on the forum, sadly, and often from members who should know better.

Edit:

Think on this. if it allowed to be posted it is potentially dubious.

Discernment: Track record, view other posts, overall feel.

If it is removed, banned, channel shut down - well, at the very least it was going against the narrative. Or pure hatred.

If it is against the narrative, pause - realise there is a narrative being pushed.

[Bill Ryan]

Another interesting update. It appears there was quite a lot of panic throughout Ecuador a couple of days ago, all fueled by false or exaggerated social media reports. It's these same reports that have made their way to Twitter and Telegram channels in the rest of the alt media. I've added my own red emphasis below.

I'll be going into town today for one or two things, so I'll be able to report first-hand. But I'm absolutely certain everything will be as safe, quiet and as peaceful as it always is here.

• https://cuencahighlife.com/cuenca-is...crime-reports/

Cuenca is back to normal following Wednesday’s panic; Quito mayor decries false crime reports

Most Cuenca businesses, schools and government offices resumed their normal operations on Thursday following widespread closures on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. City and interprovincial buses and the tram were operating full schedules and hospitals dropped restrictions imposed on Tuesday.

Like many business owners in the historic district, Diana Córdova’s jewelry store on Gran Colombia reopened to customers Thursday morning. “I’m sorry I lost business yesterday, but I was doing what everyone else did,” she said. “I’m mad all the things we heard Tuesday were not true, but we didn’t know that when it was happening.”

[... snipped...]

Muñoz quoted former U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt that, “all we have to fear, is fear itself,” and complained about the large number of false reports of bombings and gang activity.

(...read the whole article here)

[palehorse]

Well said Bill and Ewan.

[Lunesoleil]

In any case, something must have happened in Ecuador 🇪🇨 for this news to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Before becoming president, Daniel Noboa was a businessman with assets in tax havens. Wasn't this event intended to destabilize political life and give a first warning?
What's up is what's down is what I tried to share in my article.

Tell me Bill, you who live in the mountains, how can you really know what's really going on in this country?
Did you read my article? because this event didn't happen by chance, there's a similarity that occurred just before the New Moon on January 11.
Do you think there's any place in the world that could be a paradise on earth today? if so, you'd have to have a minimum to live decently ...

[Ravenlocke]

This is the latest update regarding the number of kidnapped individuals.
Apparently 158 kidnapped are prison officials and 20 are administrative staff.

The whole episode is being termed ,”Prison Crisis”, but this doesn’t mean the whole country is in uproar.

https://x.com/telesurenglish/status/1745868248950915332

https://x.com/AiNewsRep/status/1745691872540942699

And this is how it’s reported here by the New York Times 3 days ago.

https://x.com/nytimesworld/status/1744853077151174868

https://x.com/nytimes/status/1744847780462440888

[Ewan]

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)

Most Cuenca businesses, schools and government offices resumed their normal operations on Thursday following widespread closures on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday. City and interprovincial buses and the tram were operating full schedules and hospitals dropped restrictions imposed on Tuesday.

Like many business owners in the historic district, Diana Córdova’s jewelry store on Gran Colombia reopened to customers Thursday morning. “I’m sorry I lost business yesterday, but I was doing what everyone else did,” she said. “I’m mad all the things we heard Tuesday were not true, but we didn’t know that when it was happening.”

[... snipped...]

Muñoz quoted former U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt that, “all we have to fear, is fear itself,” and complained about the large number of false reports of bombings and gang activity.

(...read the whole article here)

Posted by Lunesoleil (here)
In any case, something must have happened in Ecuador 🇪🇨 for this news to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Before becoming president, Daniel Noboa was a businessman with assets in tax havens. Wasn't this event intended to destabilize political life and give a first warning?
What's up is what's down is what I tried to share in my article.

Tell me Bill, you who live in the mountains, how can you really know what's really going on in this country?
Did you read my article? because this event didn't happen by chance, there's a similarity that occurred just before the New Moon on January 11.
Do you think there's any place in the world that could be a paradise on earth today? if so, you'd have to have a minimum to live decently ...

I understand you use a translator, but Bill actually highlighted in red comments from local business people that literally said what they heard was simply not true!

With that info, I'd be more inclined to trust a local, regardless of their elevation, to be more accurate than an international news report.

[ExomatrixTV]

• Ecuador's President Says Country Is At War With Drug Gangs:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=AbUJrHtB1rw

• How Ecuador Became One of the World’s Most Violent Countries:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=AEuL0aP2amY

• Spiraling Gang Violence In Ecuador: Who Is In Control?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=DNHWHeBNeMc

• Upheaval In Ecuador: Gangs, Drugs, A Live TV Takeover:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=gcV8oFsBqtA

• Ecuador Emergency Explained | Guayaquil Is Prized Turf For Drug Traffickers:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=T8oO2rHgvo0