Ecuador on the brink after gang gunmen stage shows of force

Soldiers patrol outside the government palace during a state of emergency in Quito, Ecuador (Dolores Ochoa/AP)

The invasion by masked gunmen of the TC Television studio in Ecuador, with its mid-afternoon newscast under way, has brought home the scale of lawlessness in the South American nation to its people.

The gunmen burst in, unleashing at least 15 minutes of threats and fear, all broadcast live.