Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso on Friday announced a 60-day state of emergency in three provinces of the country hit by a wave of violence linked to drug trafficking.
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“I have declared a state of exception in the provinces of Guayas, Manabi and Esmeraldas“, located on the coast, said Guillermo Lasso in a speech broadcast by state media.
A total of 4,000 police and 5,000 soldiers will be mobilized in these provinces, and a curfew will be in effect between 11 p.m. he adds.
Drug-related violence in Ecuador has claimed 1,255 lives so far this year, according to official figures. Clashes between gangs in prisons have left 350 people dead. In 2021, Ecuador had seized a record 210 tons of drugs, mainly cocaine, and in the first four months of the year drug seizures have already reached 75 tons, Guillermo Lasso said on Tuesday. .
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