Daily coverage from across the country, written for the expat community
Results for “gang violence”Clear
President Noboa signed Decreto 353 on April 2, declaring a 60-day state of exception across nine provinces and four cantons. Warrantless searches are now legal in affected areas, though no curfew has been imposed. Expats in Pichincha, Guayas, Manabi, and other covered provinces should understand what rights have been suspended.
Gunmen opened fire at a sports complex on Avenida 25 de Julio in southern Guayaquil, killing multiple people and wounding several others, including minors. The attack bears the hallmarks of gang violence and underscores why southern Guayaquil remains Ecuador's most dangerous urban zone.
Ecuador has imposed an 11pm-to-5am curfew in four coastal provinces — Guayas, Los Rios, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, and El Oro — as part of the ongoing state of emergency. The restriction runs through at least March 30, 2026.
Ecuadorian journalist Jose Vinces was lured to a location under the pretense of investigating a tip and shot by unidentified assailants. The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned the attack as part of a disturbing pattern of violence against press in Ecuador.
Ecuador's 60-day state of emergency declared January 1 has been extended for an additional 30 days across nine provinces and three municipalities. With a record 9,000 homicides in 2025, President Noboa is doubling down on military deployments as the country remains in a declared state of 'internal armed conflict.'
Ecuador’s Interior Minister announced that the La Roca maximum-security prison in Guayaquil will be repurposed exclusively for female inmates within four weeks, while construction on a massive new 15,000-bed prison facility begins at the end of Q1.
