‘Gang turf wars’ – Dock, buildings destroyed in Ecuadorian port of Puerto Bolivar after series of explosions

“A dock in Puerto Bolivar and several multi-story buildings were destroyed after a series of explosions in the area that reportedly followed drug trafficking groups’ battle for control of the market in the early hours of Sunday. Footage filmed on Monday shows piles of rubble and destroyed buildings that reportedly belonged to Ecuadorian drug traffickers. National Police officers were seen alongside the Armed Forces as they demolished the rubble of the buildings that were reportedly used to store drugs, money and weapons belonging to the criminal groups. “Armed individuals arrived in the area, both by land and sea, to plant explosives on the foundations of the buildings, which they later detonated. “We do not yet have an estimate of the number of people involved, although we know unofficially that this is a dispute between gangs over territory,” said police captain Diego Tenerema about the incident. He claimed that police arrived “immediately” to “close the area” and that there were no casualties. According to local media, several armed men broke into a building on a private pier, took valuables and detonated explosives that completely destroyed the pier. Other media reported that police also carried out controlled detonations of unexploded devices found at the scene of the incident. Police are investigating the incident, but preliminary reports indicate that the attack is part of a violent dispute between rival groups fighting for control of territory. In January, President Noboa declared an “internal armed conflict” against 22 criminal gangs and declared a state of emergency, deploying the army across the country. The repression comes ahead of Ecuador’s general elections in 2025.”