Ecuador on High Alert as Notorious Drug Lord Escapes Prison

Ecuador's President declared a state of emergency after notorious gang leader José Adolfo Macías Villamar, known as "Fito," escaped from prison, prompting heightened security measures and a 60-day state of emergency with a nightly curfew. The country has been grappling with a bloody criminal turf war and escalating violence, exacerbated by the influence of drug cartels and foreign syndicates. The escape has underscored the challenges authorities face in controlling gang violence and maintaining order in the country's overcrowded prisons.