Ecuador declares state of emergency after dangerous gang leader vanishes from prison

ECUADOR - JANUARY 09: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY - MANDATORY CREDIT - 'ECUADOR POLICE DEARTMENT / HANDOUT' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) A general view of suspects handcuffed with plastic handcuffs by the Ecuador forces as Ecuador president declares 'internal armed conflict,' orders military operations against organized crime groups in Ecuador on January 09, 2024. Ecuador declared a state of emergency Monday after one of the country's most dangerous gang leaders disappeared from his prison cell, triggering riots in at least six correctional facilities across the country. The state of emergency allows the army to act to control internal security, especially in prisons, as previous presidents have done. (Photo by Ecuador Police Department / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)