In five years, terrorism in Ecuador has grown and changed. In Esmeraldas, on January 27, 2018, a car bomb went off close to the San Lorenzo Police Headquarters.
That was Ecuador’s first terrorist assault. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FOS) dissident Oliver Sinisterra Front (FOS) was blamed for the attack. Since then, there have been further explosives-related events in Ecuador.
The statistics of the National Police reflect this. There were 419 events in 2022, 60 of which were genuine threats. While there have already been 46 occurrences involving explosive devices in the first three months of 2023.
from emulnor to amatol
When explosive attacks started in Ecuador in 2018, scientists found that attacks like those in San Lorenzo were carried out with an explosive known as amatol.
This explosive was built at home, and its parts were inexpensive and readily available.
The Police discovered a similar trait in the most recent attacks, which occurred in 2023, however, this sort of crime has since evolved. Emulnor is a secondary explosive used by gangs.
This explosive is gelatinous and pliable and is typically employed in mining. It is employed to shatter rocks in quarries. Additionally, it encourages humidity, which makes storage and shipping easier.
The National Police’s investigation revealed that this bomb was made in Peru. In other words, it is crossing Ecuador’s southern border.
Some specialize in the creation and assembly of explosives among criminal organizations. They’re referred to as “artificiers.” Gangs have occasionally been known to deploy members abroad to research this activity.
The Ecuadorian ‘artificiers’ learn about explosives in nations where attacks first appeared years ago, such as Colombia and Mexico. His understanding is still empirical and conventional, though. The bombardier has a significant probability of perishing every time they build a bomb.
Be wary of shady packages.
The commander of the Anti-explosive Area of the Intervention and Rescue Group (GIR) of the National Police, Gabriel Bautista, explains that criminal organizations typically disguise explosives in suspicious parcels.
The authority claims these parcels may be found anywhere, particularly in offices. People must therefore be fully in charge of their environment and aware of all the tools nearby.
So, if they notice anything unusual, they can immediately recognize it and handle it as a suspicious shipment.
For instance, five journalists from various media sites received envelopes on Monday, March 20, 2023. There were USB devices with explosive charges inside those parcels. Only one went off in Ecuador.
The first step is to read the sender’s name to see if the package might be explosive. Additionally, if possible, call the individual to confirm the delivery. Cables or cords hanging from the package, oil stains, or the smell of fuel are further red flags.
When an explosive package is discovered in these circumstances, the police advise handling it as little as possible, attempting to isolate it, and phoning ECU-911 right away to arrange for the assistance of the GIR Anti-explosives Team.
