Ecuador: presidency orders extradition of foreign prisoners. More than 10% of people detained in Ecuador were of foreign nationality.
Quito declared a state of emergency on January 8 after the escape of a gang leader, Adolfo Macias known as “Fito,” sparked an unprecedented wave of criminal violence across the country. Gangs linked to drug trafficking and involving Colombians and Mexicans in particular are waging a merciless war even in the prisons, where since the start of the year at least 20 people have been killed.