Draft:Insurgency in Ecuador

The insurgency in Ecuador, is an ongoing armed conflict, involving Armed far-Leftist Parties and groups against the govermnent of Ecuador, the main one being the Communist Party of Ecuador – Red Sun (PCE-SR), and the Marxist–Leninist Communist Party of Ecuador having its Armed wing, the Group of Popular Combatants (GCP) and other combatants.

The PCE-SR have claimed to have made 502 armed actions.

Background & Pre-Insurgency
Ecuador first tried to get independence from Spain in the Quito Revolution, forming the Short-lived State of Quito, but it failed.

But in 1822, it succeded to declare independence of Spain in the Ecuadorian War of Independence, with Guayaquil, and became a sovereign country. But Ecuador for the most time, unlike their bordering countries such as Colombia or Peru; hasn't seen major civil wars or internal strife in recent decades.

But in the Cold War, Communist Wars and Insurgencies spread over the World, Especially over Latin America. With it, multiple Leftist-Parties and groups were founded in Ecuador over the time, and one of them was the MLCPE, and also others.

Before the insurgency, the principal guerrila in ecuador was the "¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo!", which operated from 1982 to 1991, when in 1991 they made an peace accord with the Govermnent of Ecuador.

With the economic crisis in the 1990s, resulted in an inflationary currency crisis, and other ones, which would allow the Communist Party of Ecuador – Red Sun in 1993, to spread violence among other groups and drug traffickers.

However thanks to the low living conditions and the constant spillover of the Shining Path & FARC; an insurgency would slowely emerge.

Insurgency
The Insurgency started with the formation of a de facto Shining Path Client movement known as the Red Sun (PCE-SR), followed by the most influential group: Group of Popular Combatants (GCP). On 1 June of 1993, the PCE-SR started the insurgency and attacked Rural areas to the west of Zumba, Zamora Chinchipe,The PCE-SR had close ideological and military ties with the Communist Party 'Shining Path' in Peru.

The GCP committed an attack on September 28, 1997 in Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador. No one was injured or killed in the attack.

Another GCP attack occurred on February 16, 2000 in Guayaquil city, Guayas, Ecuador. A television network received a video tape which contained a concealed bomb. The civil Rafael Cuesta, the news editor at the station, and the only casualty in the attack, was wounded when the bomb went off inside the station. Prior to the attack, the news station had warnings about a possible attack from a different group, This initially led authorities to blame a different organization, although, the Group of Popular Combatants did eventually take responsibility. Rafael Cuesta was the only person injured and no one was killed.

In 22 July 2002, The Freedom House stated that Colombian right-wing paramilitary groups had "infiltrated northern Ecuador" in order to "target locals there who they believed might be cooperating with the guerrillas".

It was reported in 2003, that FARE made a bomb attack in Guayaquil.

On November 22, 2010, the GCP claimed responsibility for a bomb attack placed in the head office of the University of Guayaquil. The GCP claimed they used the bomb to attempt to influence student elections held at the University.

On November 22 2011, two separate bombs exploded nearly simultaneously in downtown Guayaquil, the first of which went off in front of the local Ministry of Health offices, while the second detonated several blocks away.

On March, April and May 2018, the FARC dissidents attacked border towns with colombia, with they being; Mataje, San Lorenzo and Tobar Donoso. They also attacked Puerto Mestanza in January 2019.

Operation Red Sun
On 3 March 2012, 10 alleged members of the GCP were arrested and had on charges of subversion and terrorism. The PCE-SR condemned this as an escalation of repression by the Ecuadorian state. The case itself, which became known as the Luluncoto 10, would become controversial over the process of criminalizing political groups as terrorist organizations. Months later, the PCE-SR ruled on the forced disappearance of 43 students in Ayotzinapa, calling it a state crime and accusing President Enrique Peña Nieto of being in charge of a narco-state. In October 2014, the PCE-SR announced its solidarity with the Popular Protection Units for the defense carried out in the siege of Kobane.

Present Day
In Spite of a distingct lack of fighting on either side of the Insurgency in Ecuador, the strife continues and likely will continue to do so for many years to come.