Ecuador: Ecuador declares nationwide state of emergency and curfew effective Jan. 8 /update 2

Effective Jan. 8, President Daniel Noboa decreed a nationwide state of emergency and curfew that will last through at least March 8. Under the decree, all persons must remain indoors from 23:00-05:00 daily. Exceptions exist for certain essential and emergency workers and those traveling to and from airports who have flights during curfew hours.

The decree also mobilizes the armed forces and authorizes them to carry out law-enforcement operations throughout the country and to intervene in the nation's prison system. It further declares the areas within a 1 km (0.6 mile) radius of all prisons to be secure zones where police and military forces may stop pedestrians and vehicles and subject them to identification checks and searches. The measures also suspend certain constitutional rights nationwide, including the right to assembly and freedom from warrantless searches.

The decree comes as prisoners riot and set fires at the El Inca Prison in Quito; authorities said late Jan. 8 that they had reestablished order at the prison and had captured a prisoner who attempted to escape. However, additional unrest and riots have occurred in other prisons, with reports indicating that prisoners have taken their guards hostage in the Azuay, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, and Loja prisons. Past prison riots in Ecuador have resulted in numerous fatalities and significant mobilizations of security forces.

The measures are likely to prompt major security operations and increased security measures throughout the country. Transport and business disruptions are also likely.