By The Opinion
The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboaannounced the implementation of a new night curfew that will be applied in several regions of the country, including the capital, Quito, as part of measures to confront growing insecurity and violence linked to organized crime.
According to the official announcement, The restriction will be in effect from May 3 to 18, 2026with hours from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m., and will cover nine provinces.
The measure is part of the government’s strategy to reinforce the presence of the State in areas considered priority and limit criminal activity at night, a period in which a good part of violent events are concentrated.
Among the provinces included are Guayas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Los Ríos, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Sucumbíos and Pichincha, as well as specific municipalities in other regions, according to the newspaper El Comercio.
This week necessary decisions will be executed to strengthen the fight for the country.
Cabinet changes have been made in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The new authorities will assume a clear task: push Ecuador, accelerate what…
— Daniel Noboa Azin (@DanielNoboaOk) April 20, 2026
The Ecuadorian government had already applied a similar measure in March past in some areas of the country. According to official data, this restriction allowed a significant reduction in homicides, especially during the early morning hours, which supported the decision to extend the curfew to more territories.
According to Reuters, this new announcement occurs in a context of escalating violence. Recent reports indicate that the country is facing a wave of attacks and massacres that have left dozens of victims, which has forced the authorities to tighten security actions.
The curfew is also framed in the state of exception in force in Ecuadorwith which the government seeks to contain the advance of criminal organizations and drug trafficking, key factors in the deterioration of security in the country.
With this measure, Quito and other major cities will once again operate under nighttime restrictions, in an attempt to stop violence and recover protection in the most affected areas.
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