Ecuador: Armed Men Attack TV Station Amid Nationwide Gang Violence
The Facts
One day after Ecuador Pres. Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency because of increased gang violence, armed men barged into a news station during a live broadcast on Tuesday and threatened staff, injuring one individual.
Hooded gunmen rushed into the TC Television studio during the mid-afternoon live news broadcast and held the staff hostage for 15 minutes. Viewers heard screams and gunshots before one man said, “We are on air, so you know that you cannot play with the mafia.”
The Spin
Narrative A
Noboa is determined to end violent crime in Ecuador. He recently announced two new prisons will be built far away from the violence centers, where brutality has taken over in recent years. His long-term plan is to restore the country to the peace it saw before being overrun with drugs and violence from Columbia and Peru.
Narrative B
The politicians and police of Ecuador have proven that they can’t be trusted. Families and business owners have been left to fend for themselves against violent gangs that have infiltrated their neighborhoods, and people have been forced to pay off criminals with their meager earnings or they face violence. Noboa has little chance of rooting out crime, especially when the gangs are so deeply tied to systemic corruption.
