It wasn't that long ago that Ecuador was a beacon of stability in a region known for

political unrest and drug trafficking, but it's become one of Latin America's most violent

countries with increasing violence and murders.

As Ali Rogan reports, many Ecuadorians are turning to their young political outsider president

to turn things around.

Ecuador is in a state of war. That was what 36 year old President Danielle Noboa said in January

as he declared a state of internal armed conflict against his country's drug cartels.

In the past year, the small South American nation

saw the assassination of a presidential candidate,

the escape of numerous gang members from prison,

including the leader of one of the country's most powerful drug cartels,

and a brazen armed takeover of a local TV station during a live broadcast.

President Nubawa came under an international scrutiny

after armed police raided the Mexican embassy in the capital

Quito earlier this month. They arrested a former Ecuadorian vice president who

sought asylum in the embassy after being indicted on corruption charges.

And Noboa's Manodura, or strong hand,

got even stronger last week after voters approved a referendum

increasing his authority.

They include measures allowing him to deploy the military against gangs,

more easily extradite accused criminals,

and lengthen prison sentences for convicted drug traffickers.

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