A group of gunmen interrupted a live broadcast by Ecuadorian television station TC on Tuesday amid chaos across the country after a convicted gang leader disappeared from his prison cell.
Videos of the incident, which were shared on social media, show staff members of the station in Guayaquil, Ecuador, lying and sitting on the ground of the set while several individuals wearing face coverings and brandishing firearms take over the broadcast.
In one clip shared to X, formerly Twitter, a man can be seen pleading with the gunmen while firearms are pointed toward his neck. Other footage showed some of the gunmen assaulting staff members while they sat on the ground with their heads in their hands.
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Ecuador’s national police force shared photos and videos to X of its officers responding to the TV station, and said that several suspects linked to the armed interruption had been captured.
The incident follows a 60-day state of emergency declared by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa on Monday after Adolfo Macias, the leader of the criminal group Los Choneros, disappeared from his prison cell in Guayaquil. The state of emergency deploys military personnel across the country and sets a national curfew.
At least seven police officers have been kidnapped by gang members since the state of emergency was declared.
This is a developing story. It will be updated as information becomes available.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.