Chilling footage out of Ecuador has dominated news sources as cartel members stormed an Ecuadorian news station this week. Given the longstanding tension between Republicans and cartel members, the response from lawmakers was swift, arguing that “Ecuador is in crisis.”
Masked men stormed a news station, and journalists pleaded for their safety on live television. Shortly after the footage made headlines, Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) took to social media to release a statement, showing solidarity with the people of Ecuador by urging that “we’re all Ecuadorians at this hour.”
As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Salazar further showed the United States’ support for Ecuador at this time by affirming that “if the United States is needed, we will be there.”
“Democracy and freedom need to win,” she added, warning that Ecuador needs to reject “these undesirable criminals who are trying to create havoc in Ecuador.”
Moreover, sharing her statement on social media, she captioned the video with “Ecuador is in crisis - I’m asking President Noboa and the Ecuadorian people to stay vigilant. Gangs and criminals cannot win.”
Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R) also shared his thoughts on the issue, citing his time spent living in Ecuador as something completely different than what the country is currently facing. “What’s happening right now in Ecuador is straight out of a horror movie,” he noted, adding that the power the cartels have attained stem from a number of reasons.
“Last weekend, the leader of Los Choneros ‘disappeared’ from prison. He was known as ‘the most-wanted prisoner’ and the gang he leads is responsible for assassinating an Ecuadorian presidential candidate last year,” Rep. Crenshaw continued, adding that “since his disappearance “madness has unfolded.”
Rep. Crenshaw further expressed that it’s “no surprise that this group is directly tied to the Sinaloa Cartel.”
