Ecuador

StrawbsM

President Daniel Noboa said nationwide unrest is an “internal armed conflict."

He declared a state of emergency after the prison escape by José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as "Fito," an alleged leader of the Los Choneros gang, which is said to have ties to the Sinaloa cartel. A television studio was then taken over by armed men whilst live on air. Currently prison guards and staff are being held hostage in a few prisons. curfews are in place in the country

Wasn’t a candidate in the presidential elections assassinated last year?

Ten of Swords

Military has been deployed although no major clashes have happened yet. Gangs have been declared terrorists and he's emptying out the jails of foreign criminals.

https://news.sky.com/story/ecuador-streets-deserted-as-president-declares-state-of-war-on-drug-gangs-13045866

He named 22 gangs as terrorist organisations, making them official military targets.

The country will also begin deporting foreign prisoners, especially Colombians, to reduce prison populations and spending.

StrawbsM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121602288#Comment_121602288

The president is definitely on a war footing.

Would Ecuador have been a relatively quiet country with regards to drug gangs up until recently?

Ten of Swords

No, this is an article form a year ago naming it the least safest country in Latin America

https://news.gallup.com/poll/468227/ecuador-dangerous-country-latin-america.aspx

timmyntc

When you buy coke for a night out this is what you are funding.

Narco gangs are funded by dirty habits of westerners - their murders and beheadings and terrorism is enabled by their 'customers' in every pub and club across the world.

randd1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121602389#Comment_121602389

And who was to blame when they were doing all that before Westerners were hoovering up the white powder?

If anything, they missed a trick with the white powder exports. They could have legalised it, taxed it, set up workers unions for good working/pay conditions, use the raised taxes to fund housing/infrastructure, and if any Western countries complained simply tell them "take it up with your own citizens, they're the ones buying it. And we have the spreadsheets, bank transactions and tax documents to prove it".

Montage of Feck

We should sent Helen McEntee out there, maybe do a photo op.

Donald Trump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cQlVww0zKo

Blame the Germans. The place was grand until they started making dance tracks about it in the 90's

Venga conmigo

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121602636#Comment_121602636

Who was doing this in Ecuador until just a few year ago? It was a peaceful country.

Incidentally, Latin Americans are also western.

L.Ball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121602389#Comment_121602389

Trying to rationalize with cokeheads? you'd have an easier time getting a bj from the pope

Pauliedragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121602389#Comment_121602389

Some of the device your typing your posts on was made from parts using child slave labour as was most of the clothes we wear.

I went on a trip to Ecuador, though mainly peaceful Galápagos, in 2018. Did visit Quito and Guayaquil, experienced no issues and found it friendly and with good infrastructure. The ordinary people are most helpful, but the country does have a bad reputation for the number of major criminal gangsters running a jail in Guayaquil.

There are some great things about Ecuador. If you adopt a street dog in Quito, the government will pay the food and vet bills. Hotel staff couldn’t have been more helpful to me, and a driver assigned to bring me to airport made sure I was in the right check-in queue. Guayaquil has been spruced up to look like Singapore with air conditioned bus stops, mosaiced underpasses and lots of lovely planting around the city.

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121610472#Comment_121610472

Supply chains for these things have moved well beyond child labour and/or slave labour.

Unless you are buying crap from Temu or Shein. Foxconn hardware is still not great with dubious conditions, but much hardware for phones and computers does not use any foxconn parts either.

Huge difference to funding cartels. There aren't many ethical coke producers are there? There are plenty of ethical above the board producers involved in semiconductor supply chain, and textile industry.

Pauliedragon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121612398#Comment_121612398

Ethical coke producers no there aren't. The war on drugs was lost long before you are I were born. Admit it's lost and leagalise/ regulate it. I spent most of my working life running pubs/nighclubs and believe me the worst drug out there for violence and aggresive behaviour is alcohol. But that's grand. Give me a room full of stoned/coke/piils patrons any day of the week before sending me a room full of drunks.

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121612510#Comment_121612510

Eh? Coke is far worse for violence and aggressive behaviour, the difference is there are far more people using alcohol than cocaine. Per capita coke users are far worse for violence

Ten of Swords

All of the hostages being held in 7 prisons (135 guards and 20 admins staff in total) have been released peacefully.

Details not being reported but it doesn't appear to have been a military operation.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/14/hostages-released-from-gang-controlled-prisons-ecuador-government-claims

https://twitter.com/DanielNoboaOk/status/1746368719792525652

TheRepentent

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121613585#Comment_121613585

You're half right..the violence and unpredictable behaviour is when coke is taken with alcohol.They dont mix very well