In Ecuador, journalist Lenin Artieda opened an envelope he received in the newsroom of Ecuavisa TV. Inside was a USB flash drive. But when he inserted the device into his laptop, it exploded. Fortunately, Artieda only suffered minor injuries. From The Guardian:
The country's attorney general's office announced on Monday that it had launched a terrorism investigation after journalists at several news outlets were sent envelopes containing similar explosive devices.
"It's a military-type explosive, but very small capsules," said Xavier Chango, the national head of forensic science, referring to the explosive sent to Ecuavisa[…]
The government said it would defend freedom of expression in the country.
"Any attempt to intimidate journalism and freedom of expression is a loathsome action that should be punished with all the rigor of justice," it said in a statement.
Ecuador's president, Guillermo Lasso, has blamed rising violence on competition between drug trafficking gangs for territory and control.
