What is happening in Ecuador?

Ecuador's president Daniel Noboa has been forced to tighten security across the South American nation after criminal groups took over 100 members of prison staff hostage, an armed gang interrupted a live broadcast and an infamous gang leader escaped prison.

Adolfo Macias (also known as Fito) was reported missing from his cell on Sunday (7 January). He was expected to be transferred to a maximum security facility that very same day. It is unclear where he is now.

Macias is the leader of the notorious Los Choneros gang predominantly involved in the country's cocaine trade. He was serving 34 years behind bars for drug trafficking and murder.

Two prison guards have since been charged as authorities investigate how Macias broke free.

This isn't the first time Macias has fled prison. In 2013, he escaped and was later rediscovered a few weeks later.

Elsewhere, there was an attack on a television studio which saw an armed group demanding staff to lie down during a live broadcast with an audio backdrop of possible gunshots.

Violence intensified and soon poured out onto the streets with seven police officers kidnapped and five explosions confirmed in several cities, according to Reuters.

President Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency, enabling military patrols to set a national nighttime curfew. Shops, schools and government offices were shut.

The state of emergency also restricts locals' rights to move freely and allows police entry into homes without a court order.

The president acknowledged an "internal armed conflict" in Ecuador, identifying Los Choneros among several other criminal gangs as terrorist groups.

Seventy people have been arrested since 8 January in response to the concerning incidents. As of Wednesday (10 January), police said the violence had left at least 11 people dead.

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