Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Noboa said the planned curfew in four provinces aims to protect communities affected by drug trafficking, illegal mining and gang violence. File Photo by Jose Jacome/EPA
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa announced a nightly curfew in four provinces from March 15 to 31 as part of a new phase of military and police operations against organized crime, including joint efforts with the United States.
Speaking at the Police Academy in Quito during a ceremony for 328 newly commissioned police sub-lieutenants, Noboa said the measure aims to protect communities affected by drug trafficking, illegal mining and gang violence.
Interior Minister John Reimberg later said the curfew will run from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. in the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas and El Oro. Ecuador has 24 provinces.
“Stay in your homes. We are at war. We are taking decisive steps in the fight against drug trafficking and criminal groups,” Reimberg told reporters.
In a post on X, Noboa said security forces will target areas linked to illegal mining and narcotics trafficking.
“We will completely eliminate those who prefer anarchy and want a failed state instead of a country at peace,” he wrote.
The president described the curfew as part of a broader national security strategy focused on restoring order in neighborhoods hit by organized crime.
“The peace of the region is one, and our unity is our greatest strength,” he said.
Noboa also pledged additional weapons, technology and institutional support for security forces, reaffirming what he has called a “war against organized crime.”
The announcement came days after Noboa met in Quito with Gen. Francis L. Donovan, head of the U.S. Southern Command, and Rear Adm. Mark A. Schafer. According to the Ecuadorian government, the talks addressed expanded cooperation in security and joint operations against transnational criminal networks.
Ecuador has faced a surge in violence in recent years as rival gangs battle for control of drug routes used to ship cocaine from neighboring Colombia and Peru to markets in North America and Europe. Authorities say provinces along the Pacific coast and key logistics corridors have been particularly affected.
The government did not immediately provide details on enforcement mechanisms or potential exemptions under the curfew.
