QUITO, Aug 8 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa has declared a new state of emergency for 60 days in four coastal provinces: El Oro, Guayas, Los Ríos, and Manabí. The decree, citing “serious internal unrest,” suspends the rights to inviolability of domicile and correspondence, allowing the Armed Forces and National Police to conduct joint operations
The measure is a response to a surge in violence, including armed attacks and bombings, which authorities link to conflicts between criminal gangs following the extradition of a major gang leader.
This is the latest in a series of similar declarations by Noboa to combat an unprecedented security crisis, which has made Ecuador one of the most violent countries in Latin America.
The Constitutional Court will review the new decree, a process that comes amid ongoing tension between the president and the court over the legal tools used to combat crime.
In addition, Noboa is proposing another referendum to amend the country’s constitution. The public consultation includes seven questions aimed at securing popular support for various reforms, including the establishment of foreign military bases in Ecuador, labor reforms, the installation of casinos, modifications to government oversight bodies – such as reducing the number of members in the National Assembly, allowing for the impeachment of Constitutional Court members – and eliminating the Council for Citizen Participation and Social Control (CPCCS).
According to some analysts, Noboa seeks to “upset the balance of power,” and reduce legal constraints on his agenda, while boosting his image amid recent political setbacks, given that the current state of things could further erode Ecuador’s fragile democracy. — NNN-MERCOPRESS
