Laura Gamba
17 June 2026•Update: 17 June 2026
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a new 60-day state of emergency across 10 of the country’s 24 provinces on Tuesday, responding to a bloody surge in drug cartel violence.
The security decree, which may be extended for an additional 30 days, represents the latest in a relentless series of emergency measures deployed by Noboa since he took office in November 2023.
According to official figures cited within the decree itself, the covered territories suffered a staggering 879 homicides between May 1 and June 12, 2026, underlining a severe and sustained deterioration of public order.
The geographic scope of the decree precisely maps out Ecuador's primary narcotics trafficking corridors, stretching from the northern border to the Pacific coast.
The measure encompasses the provinces of Guayas, Manabi, Santa Elena, Los Rios, El Oro, Pichincha, Esmeraldas, Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, Sucumbios, and Azuay. It also applies to the specific cantons of La Mana (Cotopaxi), Las Naves (Bolivar), and La Troncal (Canar).
The targeted zones trace the lucrative logistical routes used by powerful gangs to move cocaine from laboratories out through Ecuador’s deep-water ports toward markets in Europe and the United States.
The decree highlights a major vulnerability in Sucumbios, an Amazonian province bordering Colombia, where the government explicitly warned of a growing, heavily armed presence of Colombian dissident groups.
Among the most sweeping provisions of the emergency mandate is the immediate suspension of the inviolability of the home. This legal mechanism grants the police and armed forces the authority to enter and search private residences without a judicial warrant, provided there is reasonable suspicion of activities linked to organized crime.
Throughout his presidency, Noboa has consistently relied on these heavy-handed security tactics to disrupt powerful prison-born gangs.
Beyond international cocaine transit, these syndicates have expanded into lucrative illicit networks involving illegal gold mining, violent extortion rackets, and high-profile kidnappings.
The announcement marks a dramatic U-turn from the security strategy the president outlined just weeks ago.
While on an official visit to the US in May, Noboa assured international observers that he would not renew expiring emergency powers, stating that any future declarations would strictly depend on "extraordinary circumstances."
