Ecuador: state of emergency extended for another 30 days. The army is deployed on the streets across the country to fight against an explosion of violence linked to drug trafficking.
This situation has been going on since January 8, and the escape of a dangerous gang leader. Soldiers have already arrested more than 7,500 people and seized some 65 tons of drugs in two months of operation. In total, around twenty gangs are believed to be involved in the clashes shaking Ecuador. These gangs are linked to Mexican cartels and the Albanian mafia, which control cocaine trafficking in the country.