After an urgent meeting of the Public Security Council and the State, convened by President Daniel Noboa, the Secretary of Communication of the Presidency, Roberto Izureta, revealed that the whereabouts of the leader of the criminal gang Los Choneros, considered one of the most dangerous in the country, are so far unknown.

“Fito”, who was detained in the maximum security prison in the city of Guayaquil, was supposed to be transferred to another penitentiary center, however, he was not found in the place where he should have been, as reported by General Commander of the National Police César Zapata.

The drug trafficker’s escape occurred at a time when the Executive described its so-called Phoenix Security Plan as successful and after the president’s announcement to build two new prisons in the provinces of Pastaza and Santa Elena.

Several social sectors questioned Noboa’s security project and his proposal for a popular consultation with which he intends to return tranquility and sources of employment to Ecuadorians.

Ecuador is suffering an insecurity crisis which the Government blames gang disputes over the control of drug trafficking, while citizens demand concrete actions from the Executive to stop criminal acts that last year left almost five thousand deaths.

Since 2020, Ecuadorian prisons have been scenes of riots, in which more than 450 prisoners died.

The wave of violence in Ecuador is largely due to what happens in prisons, which are internally controlled by criminal gangs.

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