Ecuador Protests Spain's Release of Alleged Gangster

Ecuador's government on Wednesday protested a ​Spanish court's release of an alleged crime boss who Quito had been seeking to extradite after he was

accused of leading a violent attack on a TV station in 2024.



William Joffre Alcivar Bautista, known as Commander Willy and alleged head of the criminal group Los Tiguerones, was arrested in Spain alongside his brother Alex in October 2024 on terrorism charges.



Ecuadorean authorities accuse Alcivar and his brother of orchestrating car bombings, contract killings, extortion and a live on-air raid of TC Television's studio in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city.



Spain's High Court authorized Alcivar's extradition last June, provided that Ecuador guaranteed his safety in custody.



But a spokesperson for the court said on Wednesday that Alcivar had been released on December 29 because Ecuador did not provide the requested guarantees.