Ecuador Declares 60-Day State of Emergency and Coastal Curfews Amid Escalating Cartel Violence

BOGOTA — Ecuador President Daniel Noboa has declared a new 60-day state of emergency across eight provinces and three municipalities, accompanied by a nightly curfew in four coastal regions, as his administration intensifies its militarised crackdown on organized crime.

The executive decree suspends the constitutional right to the inviolability of the home in the targeted jurisdictions, granting the National Police and Armed Forces direct authority to conduct warrantless searches and raids where criminal activity is suspected.

The emergency measures cover the provinces of El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Los Rios, Manabi, Pichincha, Santa Elena, and Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, alongside the municipalities of Camilo Ponce Enríquez (Azuay), Las Naves (Bolívar), and La Maná (Cotopaxi). Additionally, a targeted night curfew—running from midnight to 5 am local time—has been implemented from September 17 to 30 in the provinces of El Oro, Guayas, Los Rios, and Manabi.

Citing intelligence reports from the National Intelligence Center, the military, and the police, Noboa declared a state of “serious internal unrest”. Authorities warned that transnational cartels and local gangs, including Los Choneros, have diversified their revenue streams through extortion, kidnapping, and illegal mining to withstand ongoing state counter-offensives.

The sweeping decree follows a record-breaking surge in violence. Data compiled by InSight Crime indicated that Ecuador’s homicide rate climbed to 51 per 100,000 inhabitants—averaging roughly one murder every hour—driven by violent territorial rivalries over lucrative drug transit corridors.

The security push aligns with deepening defense ties between Quito and Washington. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently concluded a visit to Quito, praising Noboa as a key partner in regional counter-narcotics strategies. Meanwhile, the US Southern Command announced that the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere intercepted and sank a “floating refuelling station” in the Eastern Pacific providing logistical support for maritime smuggling runs linked to Los Choneros. Detained crew members were transferred to Ecuadorian authorities prior to the vessel’s scuttling.

Noboa has repeatedly leaned on emergency powers and street-level military deployments since taking office in November 2023, closely integrating domestic security operations with US intelligence and operational backing.

–NMT