Ecuador announced a partial state of emergency on Saturday in the capital, seven of its 24 provinces, and within the penitentiary system. This decision aims to curb rising drug trafficking violence ahead of the presidential runoff election.
The measure will last for 60 days and came into effect a day before Ecuadorans vote for their next leader between incumbent Daniel Noboa and leftist challenger Luisa González.
Key Areas Affected
- The state of emergency is enforced in regions most affected by violence, where official data shows one murder occurs every hour.
- Affected provinces include coastal areas like Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Santa Elena, and El Oro, as well as Amazonian regions of Orellana and Sucumbíos. The mining town Camilo Ponce Enríquez and the capital city Quito are also included.
Government rights to inviolability of domicile, correspondence, and freedom of assembly have been suspended. A seven-hour curfew has also been implemented in several localities.
Background and Impact
President Noboa declared the state of emergency due to “increasing violence indices, crime commission, and intensity of illicit acts by organized armed groups,” as stated in the decree. The homicide rate has decreased from a record 47 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2023 to 38 in 2024, but Ecuador still had the highest violent death rate in Latin America last year, according to Insight Crime.
Noboa has previously declared states of emergency to combat the onslaught from drug trafficking groups. In 2024, he designated Ecuador as a country in internal armed conflict, allowing military presence on streets and labeled 20 criminal bands with international cartel ties as “terrorists” and “belligerents.”
Additionally, Ecuador restricted foreign entry via its land borders with Colombia and Peru—major global coca producers—to ensure the security of the presidential runoff election. This restriction remains in place until midnight on Monday.
