Calay News
The president announced that a state of emergency will be applied immediately, which will include a curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and last for 60 days. This measure is due to a “serious internal commotion” in the country and will allow the joint mobilization of the public force, made up of the police and the Armed Forces, for patrols.
The president expressed his concern about the growing infiltration of organized crime into the State, political organizations, and society in general. He made reference to the death of the mayor of Manta, Agustin Intriago, who was murdered along with a young athlete while touring a municipal project. The murder sent shockwaves through the city and led to the arrest of a foreign suspect.
Lasso reiterated his determination not to allow organized crime groups to spread insecurity and violence in the country, which has led him to issue states of emergency on multiple occasions to combat the growing violence.
The city of Durán, a neighbor of Guayaquil, is one of the most violent in the country, with a high number of homicides registered so far this year. Guayas, the province to which Durán and Guayaquil belong, is a center of drug trafficking operations due to its strategic location in the Pacific.
In 2021, there was an annual record for drug seizures in the province of Guayas. In addition, this province is the one that reports the highest number of murders in the country, followed by Manabí and El Oro.
The president has taken drastic measures in the past, declaring states of emergency on several occasions to deal with high crime in Guayaquil and nearby areas.
