The UK Foreign Office has issued a major update regarding a state of emergency in a South American hotspot. The Foreign Office has confirmed the removal of information about the state of emergency and border closure with Colombia in an update for Ecuador.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa decreed a new 60-day state of emergency back in April, but it has now been lifted as of June 10. The measure was launched to crack down on organized crime.
The state of emergency covered nine of the country's 24 provinces and four municipalities, including the capital of Quito and the commercial western port hub of Guayaquil. Together, these areas house approximately 7 million of Ecuador's 18 million inhabitants.
Under the new decree, fundamental constitutional protections were suspended for the next two months. Police and the Armed Forces were granted additional powers to enter homes without prior judicial authorization and intercept private communications. This marked a significant expansion of government authority in the ongoing fight against criminal organizations.
The provinces under the state of emergency were identified as being strategically located along Ecuador's cocaine trafficking routes. Coastal provinces, including Esmeraldas, El Oro, Guayas, Manabí, Santa Elena, Los Ríos, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, represent the primary operational zones for criminal organizations. Other cultural hotspots like the capital were also included.
The UK Foreign Office still advises against all but essential travel to the Coastal Region provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabí, and Santa Elena. It also advises against travel to Guayas and El Oro, as well as Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. This does not apply to airside transit within Guayaquil Airport in Guayas province.
Additionally, it advises against all but essential travel to areas within 20 km of the Ecuador-Colombia border, except for these areas in Carchi province: El Ángel Ecological Reserve and Rumichaca border crossing, the town of Tulcán, and the Pan-American Highway.
