One of the incidents occurred outside a sports field, when several armed men arrived on board a motorcycle and began shooting at a group of people who were gathered there.

The upsurge of violence in this city of the coastal province of Guayas takes place in the midst of the state of emergency renewed last week by President Daniel Noboa in this town and in five other provinces and one municipality where insecurity persists.

Through Executive Decree 377, the president extended the measure “due to serious internal commotion” in Guayas, Los Rios, Manabi, Orellana, Santa Elena, El Oro and in the canton Camilo Ponce Enriquez, province of Azuay.

According to the Andean ruler, the new declaration of state of exception will allow the reinforcement of the strategies and measures implemented by the National Police and the Armed Forces to ensure citizen and integral security, as well as public order and internal protection.

Noboa also determined that the curfew established last August 8 will be maintained in 19 cantons and one parish.

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