Foreign ministry urges Belarusians to avoid trips to Ecuador

January 10, Pozirk. The Belarusian foreign ministry has urged Belarusians to avoid travelling to Ecuador, citing “the worsening crime situation” and a state of emergency.

Belarusians staying in Ecuador should strictly follow local authorities’ recommendations and may seek consular assistance at the Belarusian embassy in Colombia, it added.

On January 8, riots erupted in several of Ecuador’s prisons as inmates took prison guards hostages. Los Choneros gang leader Adolfo Macías escaped.

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day-long state of emergency, ordering the armed forces to restore control of the prisons.

The move sparked riots with bomb attacks in Guayaquil, one of Ecuador’s most populated cities. In less than a day, seven police officers were kidnapped in Quito and Machala.

On January 9, masked gunmen stormed the TC TV station in Guayaquil and took hostages during a live broadcast. Thirteen attackers were arrested later, while no casualties among the hostages were reported.