Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has declared a new 60-day state of emergency across 10 provinces and three municipalities, citing a sharp escalation in criminal violence and organised armed group activity, according to an executive decree issued on 17 June. The measure marks one of the broadest emergency declarations in Ecuador's recent history, covering both coastal and interior regions.

Provinces and Municipalities Covered

The emergency applies to six coastal provinces: Guayas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Los Ríos, El Oro, and Esmeraldas. It also extends to Pichincha — the north-central province that includes the capital, Quito — as well as Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, the northern Amazon province of Sucumbíos, and the southern province of Azuay.

The three municipalities brought under the decree are La Maná in Cotopaxi province, Las Naves in Bolívar province, and La Troncal in Cañar province.

What the Decree Suspends and Authorises

The state of emergency suspends constitutional protections against searches of homes and correspondence across the affected areas. Security forces are now authorised to conduct immediate searches where there are indications that members of organised armed groups or criminal organisations are concealed on a property, or where the presence of weapons, ammunition, explosives, or controlled substances is suspected.

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

Why Noboa Acted Now

According to the decree, Ecuador has recently recorded a significant increase in violent incidents, armed attacks, and criminal activity attributed to organised armed groups. The document specifically cites killings, extortion, kidnappings, robberies, and drug trafficking as the primary drivers of social unrest, noting that these crimes have disrupted normal economic activity across the affected regions.

The decree states that intervention by the armed forces through exceptional measures was deemed necessary to help reduce public fear. This comes amid a prolonged security crisis in Ecuador, where gang violence — much of it linked to international drug trafficking networks — has surged dramatically over the past two years, pushing the country's homicide rate to among the highest in Latin America.

Broader Context

President Noboa, who took office in late 2023, has repeatedly invoked emergency powers as part of his administration's hardline security strategy. In January 2024, he declared an 'internal armed conflict,' deploying the military against criminal groups. The latest decree signals that the security situation remains far from stabilised, with organised crime continuing to challenge state authority in both urban centres and rural provinces.

Critics and human rights observers have previously raised concerns about the suspension of civil liberties under successive emergency declarations, arguing that prolonged restrictions risk normalising extrajudicial measures. The government, however, maintains that the scale of the threat justifies the response.

What Comes Next

The 60-day emergency is expected to see intensified military and police operations across the designated provinces and municipalities. How effectively the measures contain violence — and whether they are extended beyond the initial period — will be closely watched both domestically and by regional security analysts.