Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has declared a new 60-day state of emergency in response to a sharp rise in criminal violence that has unsettled the South American nation, according to official sources.
The decree, signed by President Noboa and coming into effect immediately, applies to nine provinces and three municipalities where organized crime, gang activity and violent incidents have surged in recent weeks. The affected coastal provinces include Guayas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Los Ríos, El Oro and Esmeraldas. In the central-northern region, Pichincha and Santo Domingo are covered, while Sucumbíos in the Amazon region is also included. The municipalities of La Maná in Cotopaxi province and Las Naves and Echeandía in Bolívar province are part of the emergency measures.
The president said the 60-day emergency aims to contain and reduce high-intensity violence, neutralize imminent threats to public security and dismantle criminal organizations responsible for widespread violence.
According to Ecuador’s National Police, more than 1,200 cases of intentional homicide were recorded between November and late December in the areas now placed under the emergency, underscoring the severity of the security crisis.
Under the state of emergency, authorities are permitted to temporarily suspend certain constitutional rights, allowing security forces to intensify patrols, conduct searches and carry out operations against criminal groups. The government said these measures are necessary to restore public order and ensure the safety of citizens.
Ecuador has been grappling with escalating violence linked to drug trafficking and organized crime networks, prompting repeated emergency declarations in recent years as authorities struggle to curb rising insecurity.
