Ecuador declares curfew in coastal provinces for security operations

RiddleMaster · 2026-03-14T05:02:25+00:00

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa has imposed a nighttime curfew in four provinces to aid military operations against drug trafficking, supported by the U.S. This measure reflects his administration's focus on combating organized crime.

RiddleMaster

2026-03-14 05:02:25

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QUITO, March 13 (Reuters) - Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa on Friday decreed a nighttime curfew in four provinces of the Andean ‌country, starting March 15, intended to facilitate military operations against criminal organizations with support from the United States.

The measure covers the coastal provinces of Guayas, El Oro, Santo ⁠Domingo, and Los Rios - the country’s main drug trafficking routes - and will run from 11 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time.

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Joint military operations between Ecuador and the U.S. started in early March. A recent mission near the Colombian border resulted in the destruction of a drug ‌trafficking ⁠camp, according to the Ecuadorean Ministry of Defense.

The site was operated by a group known as the Border Commandos, comprised of FARC dissidents, and ⁠had the capacity to house 50 people, the ministry added.

Noboa has made military repression against organized crime ⁠a cornerstone of his administration. As part of his hardline stance he has criticized the ⁠government of neighboring Colombia for failing to combat drug trafficking, and implemented tariffs on Colombian imports.

Reporting by Alexandra Valencia, Editing by Natalia Siniawski

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