Ecuador Declares A New State Of Emergeny

Ecuador Declares New State Of Emergency, Plans New Referendum Ecuador Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency in four coastal provinces this week following a surge in gang-related violence that has intensified since the recent extradition of a major gang leader to the United States, MercoPress reported. The decree will apply to the provinces of El Oro, Guayas, Los Ríos, and Manabí, and is the latest in a series of similar declarations by Noboa to fight the unprecedented security crisis that has made Ecuador one of the most violent countries in Latin America. The measure suspends the rights that had hindered searches of homes and the monitoring of communications, and allows the military and the police to conduct joint operations. The country’s constitutional court will review the measure, with observers saying the process comes amid ongoing tensions between the president and the court over using such tools to combat crime. The decree came less than 48 hours before a deadly attack in El Oro over the weekend, when about 60 armed men opened fire on a boat and launched explosives at its occupants. Local media reported at least four deaths and more than a dozen people missing, the Associated Press added. Ecuador’s navy said the attackers attempted to flee in three boats but only one escaped. But no arrests have been made, and authorities have not commented on the incident. On Sunday, a shooting at a nightclub in the Guayas province killed eight people, CBS News wrote. Authorities said the suspects were heavily armed and riding motorcycles, but did not say what prompted the shooting. Noboa, who was reelected in May, has pledged to combat drug trafficking and violent crime in the South American nation. In 2023, Ecuador recorded about 8,000 killings, with the figure falling to under 7,000 last year. However, officials said violence has risen again this year, with 4,619 killings reported from January to June. The new state of emergency comes less than a month after Ecuadorean authorities extradited infamous gang leader Adolfo Macias Villamar, also known as “Fito,” to the United States, Al Jazeera noted. Fico stands accused of international drug trafficking and weapons smuggling. His extradition came shortly after he was recaptured in June following an escape in 2024 from a maximum-security prison. Alongside the emergency measures, Noboa proposed a referendum with seven constitutional amendments, including authorizing foreign military bases, introducing labor and casino reforms, and allowing the impeachment of constitutional court members. Analysts cautioned that the proposed amendments could reshape the balance of power and erode Ecuador’s fragile democracy.