QUITO, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador's government on Sunday imposed a new curfew on five violence-plagued provinces through Nov. 10 to combat organized crime and drug trafficking.
President Daniel Noboa imposed the curfew via executive order on the provinces of Guayas, home to Guayaquil, the country's most populous city, as well as Manabi, Los Rios, El Oro and Esmeraldas, all located in the country's coastal region.
The curfew calls for residents to remain indoors from midnight to 5:00 a.m. local time and for special anti-crime operations to curb violence in these provinces, according to the government.
This marks the fourth time this year Noboa has imposed a curfew, following similar restrictions imposed in March, May and September.
The measure coincides with a four-day national holiday that began on Oct. 31 in observance of All Souls' Day and the anniversary of the independence of Cuenca, the country's third most populous city, located in the south.
It also takes effect four weeks before local elections.
Noboa has frequently declared a state of exception or curfew, both nationwide and in targeted provinces, as part of his anti-crime strategy.
Since January 2024, the Noboa administration has declared the country in a state of "internal armed conflict" against criminal gangs tied to drug trafficking, which he has labeled "terrorists," amid rising violence marked by armed attacks, extortion-related kidnappings and homicides. ■
