Last Wednesday was the last day of the mobility restrictions and curfew in Guayas, Santa Elena and Los Ríos, where crimes were reported even when the measures were in force.
President Guillermo Lasso decided not to renew the state of emergency, while the National Security adviser, Paco Moncayo, informed that the actions of the troops will continue due to the persistent violence.
Moncayo explained that the resolution of the Public and State Security Council that declared terrorism a threat to the State allows the coordination of the same type of special operations.
This Thursday Lasso will sign an executive decree on the use of legitimate force to address crime in Ecuador.
According to the Minister of the Interior, Juan Zapata, homicides fell by eight percent in the metropolitan district of Guayaquil (Guayas) and in Los Ríos and Santa Elena in two months of exception. However, in those same places there are frequent prison riots, robberies, assaults, murders, kidnappings, and extortions, among other crimes that the Executive blames mainly on gangs linked to drug trafficking.
On May 25th, the Executive created a Joint Task Force to intervene in the town of Durán, Guayas province, one of the areas where violent incidents persist. Some 500 troops are carrying out operations against the three organizations linked to fightings for the control of the area and the routes in the Gulf of Guayaquil to transport drugs.
Insecurity will be one of the key issues that the candidates will address ahead of the early general elections on August 20th, as it constitutes one of the main concerns of citizens.
jrr/llp/jf/avr
