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Violence erupted across Ecuador this week after a well-known gang leader disappeared from prison. Explosions, looting, gunfire and burning vehicles were reported, and there were uprisings in several prisons. In the largest city, Guayaquil, gunmen stormed a TV studio during a live broadcast on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency, imposing a nationwide curfew and authorizing the military to patrol the streets and take control of prisons. Mr. Noboa also deployed thousands of police officers and military personnel to search for the gang leader, Adolfo Mac\u00edas. <\/p>\n
Here is what we know so far: <\/p>\n
By Tuesday, violence in Guayaquil had left at least eight people dead, Mayor Aquiles \u00c1lvarez said at a news conference. Shops, schools and government offices were closed, and streets in Guayaquil and the capital, Quito, were jammed with traffic as workers tried to get home.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The authorities said that a second major gang leader had escaped from an Ecuadorean prison, along with other inmates. In a presidential decree<\/a>, Mr. Noboa declared that an internal armed conflict was underway and ordered the military to \u201cneutralize\u201d two dozen gangs, which he called terrorist organizations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n During a live news broadcast by TC Televisi\u00f3n in Guayaquil, several masked gunmen stormed the set. They forced staff members to the ground, kicking and hitting them. Anchors and other staff were forced to appear in a video asking the president not to intervene. <\/p>\n One of the attackers could be heard saying that he wanted to send a message about the consequences of \u201cmessing with the mafias.\u201d But the police moved in before he could be wired up with a microphone. <\/p>\nWhat happened at the TV station?<\/h2>\n