Overview
- The interior minister announced Friday that a nighttime curfew will run from 00:00 on September 17 to 23:59 on September 30 in Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos and El Oro.
- Authorities said the measure is temporary and will be enforced by the Bloque de Seguridad, a joint command of the National Police, the Armed Forces and relevant ministries.
- The curfew bars general travel permits and limits exemptions to emergency workers, accredited judges and lawyers, and identified journalists, with penalties and possible detention for violators.
- The announcement follows recent maritime incidents in which the Ecuadorian Navy reported the 10 crew of the Don Rufo were found alive and courts ordered the release of dozens of detained fishers for lack of evidence.
- This is the third major curfew in 2026 under a state framed since 2024 as a 'conflicto armado interno', a pattern that raises concerns about due process, civilian movement and international security cooperation.