Dozens of prisoners escape Ecuador jail amid continued military operations

Members of the Security Forces check an area near the Zonal 8 prison, from where Jose Adolfo Macias alias "Fito" disappeared earlier in the month, amid the ongoing wave of violence around the nation, in Guayaquil, Ecuador, January 15, 2024. REUTERS/Henry Romero

QUITO (Reuters) - Forty-three prisoners remain at large after escaping a prison in northern Ecuador, the SNAI prisons agency said on Monday, as security forces continued operations throughout the country.

President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency last week, including a nighttime curfew, and designated 22 criminal groups as terrorists.