Daniel Noboa decrees a curfew and deploys 75,000 soldiers in the “war” against organized crime in Ecuador

To this end, they have deployed more than 75,000 military and police to intensify the “war” declared by Noboa on criminal gangs.

The measure will be in force between 11:00 p.m. local time and 5:00 a.m. until March 30, in the provinces of Guayas, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Los Ríos and El Oro (border with Peru), four territories of a total of 24 provinces that make up Ecuador located in the coastal zone, where criminal activities are concentrated.

Although the curfew began at 11:00 p.m. local time (4:00 GMT), Guayaquil, the country’s main economic engine, was already beginning to close and empty little by little about three hours before, given the warning from the authorities that they would take anyone who disobeyed to prison.

During curfew, Only police, military and emergency health personnel will be able to circulate, under the warning of the Government of arrest any other person circulating during those hours, including journalists, who are prevented from following the activities of state forces.

The curfew is part of a “new phase” of the “war” that the Noboa Government has been maintaining for more than two years against organized crime, causing an unprecedented wave of violence in the country, located at the head of Latin America in homicide rate.

With help from the US

The Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg, has confirmed that they will have international support during the 15 days that the curfew lasts, as has already happened in other operations, such as the one carried out last week together with USA when they bombed an alleged Border Commandos, one of the dissident groups of the ex-guerrilla of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Reimberg asked Ecuadorians to have “tranquility” and “calm” to “anything” they can hear. “We are going to go directly against criminal groups”the minister has made clear about this measure.

“I know that there is a part of Ecuadorians who are worried that certain groups or criminals may have changed provinces. We have everything mapped, we are managing all the information, so we are going to hit all these groups in these 15 days,” he stressed, without ruling out that the curfew will be extended to other provinces.