Ecuador Extends State of Exception for 30 Days in 10 Provinces

President Daniel Noboa signed Executive Decree 472 on August 14, 2026, extending Ecuador's state of exception for 30 days in 10 provinces and three cantons.

The provinces listed are Guayas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Los Ríos, El Oro, Pichincha, Esmeraldas, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Sucumbíos, and Azuay. The three cantons are La Maná in Cotopaxi, Las Naves in Bolívar, and La Troncal in Cañar.

No curfew in the decree

The decree does not establish a curfew schedule for the cantons under the measure. El Universo reports that the renewal applies under the same conditions set out in Executive Decree 423 of June 16, 2026.

The renewed measure keeps in force provisions suspending the inviolability of the home and correspondence. It also keeps the rules governing the use of the Armed Forces in coordination with the National Police and the temporary requisition of lawfully owned goods and services, subject to the limits described in the earlier decree.

The source says those measures must be applied with strict observance of Ecuador's Constitution, laws, and Constitutional Court jurisprudence. It also says that searches may take place when there are indications of organized armed groups or objects that could constitute a criminal offense.

What This Means for Expats

For foreign residents, the most important distinction is between the legal extension and a curfew. The decree extends the state of exception, but the report does not announce a blanket schedule that would prohibit movement throughout Ecuador or Azuay.

Residents should follow official local updates and allow for the possibility of more security operations in the listed provinces and cantons. People with legal, housing, or business concerns should also understand that the measure includes exceptional powers related to homes, correspondence, and requisition, rather than treating the announcement as a normal administrative notice.

This article does not interpret an individual's rights in a specific encounter with authorities. The source describes the decree's scope and conditions; a person facing a direct legal issue should obtain advice on the facts of that situation.

Source: El Universo

The geographic list is broad, but it is specific. The measure includes Guayas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Los Ríos, El Oro, Pichincha, Esmeraldas, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Sucumbíos, and Azuay. It also includes La Maná in Cotopaxi, Las Naves in Bolívar, and La Troncal in Cañar.

That list matters for people who travel between provinces, because the state of exception is not limited to one metropolitan area. At the same time, the absence of a curfew in the decree means readers should not convert the announcement into an unsupported assumption that ordinary movement is prohibited at a particular hour. The operational details remain tied to the decree's stated conditions and official enforcement.