Ecuador declares emergency in 10 provinces, 3 municipalities amid violence

Quito, June 17 (IANS) Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a new 60-day state of emergency in 10 provinces and three municipalities, citing serious internal unrest caused by rising criminal violence, according to an executive decree.

The measure suspends protections against searches of homes and correspondence in the coastal provinces of Guayas, Manabi, Santa Elena, Los Rios, El Oro and Esmeraldas, Xinhua news agency reported.

It also applies to Pichincha, the north-central province that includes the capital, Quito; Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas; the northern Amazon province of Sucumbios; and the southern province of Azuay.

The municipalities of La Mana in Cotopaxi province, Las Naves in Bolivar province, and La Troncal in Canar province are also included in the decree.

Security forces are allowed to carry out immediate searches when there are indications that members of organised armed groups or criminal organizations are hiding inside a property, the decree said, as well as when the presence of weapons, ammunition, explosives or controlled substances is suspected.

The decree allows authorities to identify, analyse and gather information considered necessary to prevent or neutralise threats. It also authorises the temporary requisition of illicit goods and services deemed strictly necessary to maintain security operations.

According to the decree, Ecuador recently recorded a significant increase in violent incidents, armed attacks and criminal activity attributed to organised armed groups and criminal organizations.

The decree said killings, extortion, kidnappings, robberies and drug trafficking continued to fuel social unrest and disrupt normal economic activity. It said the intervention of the armed forces through exceptional measures was necessary to help reduce public fear.

–IANS

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