The spasm of violence began Monday morning with news of the jailbreak of Adolfo Macias, known as Fito, the leader of one of Ecuador's many powerful criminal organizations. Gang attacks were reported in several cities that night, and dozens of guards were kidnapped. By Tuesday morning, news had spread that another gang leader, Colon Pico, had also escaped from prison.
It was an alarming series of events, but the onslaught of fake news articles that followed exaggerated a situation of near-total chaos and stoked panic. Disinformation is not new to Ecuador. Like every other country, we have to sift through a significant amount of misinformation online. However, the situation was different, as the floods made it difficult to distinguish between legitimate reporting and pure rumors in moments of crisis. It remains unclear who is behind the false reports, but for several hours it felt impossible to separate fact from fiction or objectively appreciate the gravity of the situation.
A social media user falsely reported a shooting incident near the presidential palace. Another falsely warned of a corporate takeover. Quito metro stationThere were also false suggestions that masked gunmen had invaded the university and hospital. By the end of the week, city officials said Nationwide, 53 incidents of gang-related violence were reported, but only 18 were found to be substantiated.
The president's emergency order was issued amid a mix of fact and fiction. Previous presidents have been accused of regularly declaring states of emergency, but Novoa faced little resistance from his political opponents. One of his predecessors, Rafael Correa, initially offered “full and unrestricted support.” The leader of the legislative opposition, María Paula Romo, said she had doubts about Novoa's move. But he stressed that we have an obligation as a nation to support the president. In this moment of uncertainty.
Overall, the political and civil society reaction to Novoa's numerous security measures to contain the crisis and extend executive power is worrying in a region where other countries have begun to surrender personal freedoms in exchange for human rights. It's so quiet. personal safety.