Schools and stores sat shuttered, many people stayed home and soldiers roamed the streets of Ecuador害羞草研究所檚 biggest cities Wednesday, the day after armed men invaded a television station害羞草研究所檚 live afternoon newscast and the president told the security forces to wipe out the .

The flashed across the televisions of Ecuadorians for 15 minutes on Tuesday as the intruders threatened and assaulted employees of the TC Televisi贸n network害羞草研究所檚 station in the city of Guayaquil. No one was killed and 13 suspects were arrested, but the violent broadcast stunned much of the region 害羞草研究所� and elicited a wide-ranging government response.

issued a decree saying his country was in an 害羞草研究所渋nternal armed conflict害羞草研究所� and designated 20 as terrorist groups that the military had authorization to 害羞草研究所渘eutralize害羞草研究所� within the bounds of international humanitarian law.

害羞草研究所淲e are in a state of war and we cannot give in,害羞草研究所� Noboa said during an interview with Radio Canela on Wednesday.

He害羞草研究所檇 already declared a national state of emergency Monday after the leader of one of Ecuador害羞草研究所檚 most powerful drug gangs . Since Adolfo Mac铆as害羞草研究所� apparent escape, Ecuador has seen police officers kidnapped and at least 125 corrections personnel taken hostage inside prisons.

The government said nearly 330 people, including the TC Televisi贸n suspects, had been arrested for alleged acts of terrorism as of Wednesday afternoon. Security forces across Ecuador guarded hospitals, public transit and newsrooms. The government ordered teachers and students to hold classes remotely until Friday.

In the radio interview, Noboa promised to crack down on drug trafficking groups and consolidate peace in the Andean nation of 18 million.

害羞草研究所淲e are fighting against terrorist groups made up of more than 20,000 people,害羞草研究所� Noboa said. 害羞草研究所淭hey wanted to be named as organized crime groups 害羞草研究所� but they are terrorists.害羞草研究所�

The president warned that judges, prosecutors and officials who collaborated with the gangs would be considered part of a terrorist network.

Even in a country where a last year, the show of force streamed into Ecuadorians害羞草研究所� homes and workplaces was unprecedented. The motive for targeting the station remained unclear.

害羞草研究所淲e are on air, so you know that you cannot mess with the mafia,害羞草研究所� one of the assailants said during the broadcast attack. The words sounded like a warning addressed to Ecuadorian authorities and the nation at large.

Noboa害羞草研究所檚 resolve was welcome to many Ecuadorians, who have watched their nation descend into chaos. While wedged between major cocaine producers Colombia and Peru, Ecuador has been comparatively peaceful. But traffickers tired of doing business in more militarized countries have set up shop there.

Humberto Poggi del Salto, 50, a businessman in Guayaquil, urged the government to come down on the armed groups with 害羞草研究所渁 firmer hand, to have no mercy, no tolerance or (respect for) the human rights of criminals.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淧resident Noboa must do what El Salvador did,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭he situation has gotten out of control. And it is because of lack of extreme measures.害羞草研究所�

El Salvador害羞草研究所檚 president, , two years ago suspended constitutional rights to wage an all-out war on violent gangs. Sharp declines in criminal violence since then have made the 42-year-old leader highly popular at home and .

Yet mass arrests of tens of thousands of suspected gang members 害羞草研究所� many of them innocent 害羞草研究所� and the opening of a controversial 害羞草研究所渕ega-prison害羞草研究所� have fueled accusations of in El Salvador.

An advisor to Bukele, who asked for his name to be withheld because he was not authorized to speak on the subject, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Ecuador would not be seeing its current levels of violence if it had followed El Salvador害羞草研究所檚 example.

Experts tracking criminal groups in Latin America said that while an immediate strong response is needed to show the government is in control, simply militarizing the country may only make things worse in the long term.

害羞草研究所淓xtreme policies might seem like the logical consequence we害羞草研究所檝e seen,害羞草研究所� said Ivan Briscoe, Latin America and the Caribbean director for the International Crisis Group. But 害羞草研究所渋f you move to a security policy which is purely based on repression and killing, you害羞草研究所檙e going to enter an extremely violent spiral.害羞草研究所�

Countries like Colombia and have warred with armed cartels for decades, targeting drug lords as a strategy to take down entire criminal organizations. But warfare has caused such groups to splinter into factions and forced them to adapt, Briscoe said.

Over time, that has made it more difficult for authorities to dismantle criminal enterprises; when one armed group is taken down, five more pop up to take its place, he said.

What needs to happen in the long term, Briscoe said, is for authorities to root out corruption within the government that has allowed gangs to take control of prisons and many port cities, and to create a judicial system that breaks any links between organized crime and law enforcement.

害羞草研究所淭o be sent to prison in Ecuador is to be sent to the home of a criminal organization,害羞草研究所� Briscoe said.

Juanita C. Francis Bone, a leader of the human rights group Mujeres de Asfalto in the coastal city Esmeraldas, worried that the path Noboa is taking could lead to a criminalization of poorer communities.

Esmeraldas has seen massacres of local fishermen, bodies hanging from bridges by nooses, and rounds of car bombs going off. A normal day there 害羞草研究所渋s waking up and fearing that what you害羞草研究所檙e hearing aren害羞草研究所檛 fireworks, but gunshots.害羞草研究所� Francis Bone said.

She said years of government neglect and poverty have fed the ranks of armed gangs with young people who see few options for themselves. More than additional guns on the streets, such Ecuadorians need access to education, health care and jobs, Francis Bone said.

害羞草研究所淒eep inequality is always going to be the breeding group for recruiting people into criminal groups. It害羞草研究所檚 very hard for someone to speak of peace and security when they害羞草研究所檙e starving,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淵ou can害羞草研究所檛 simply wash your hands of any blame by just saying you害羞草研究所檙e going to militarize.害羞草研究所�

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