Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has extended the state of emergency for 30 days in eight provinces, citing "serious internal unrest" as the country continues to confront escalating gang violence and a prolonged security crisis.

According to local media reports, the measure applies to the provinces of Pichincha, home to the capital Quito, Guayas, which includes the country's largest commercial hub of Guayaquil, as well as the strategically important border provinces of Esmeraldas, bordering Colombia, and El Oro, bordering Peru. It also covers Los Ríos, Manabí, Santa Elena, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas.

The renewed state of emergency allows security forces to continue operating under extraordinary powers, including the suspension of certain constitutional protections, while enabling the armed forces to support police operations aimed at combating organized crime.

Ecuador has remained under what the government describes as an "internal armed conflict" since 2024, when President Noboa intensified the country's campaign against powerful criminal gangs and designated them as terrorist organizations.

Authorities say the measure remains necessary due to the persistence of organized criminal activity and violent incidents in the affected provinces.

The extension was announced one day after the expiration of a 10-day nightly curfew that had been imposed in several provinces earlier this month. During that operation, more than 2,600 people were detained and 2.5 tonnes of narcotics were seized, according to official figures.

In September, Noboa had declared a 60-day state of emergency covering eight provinces and three municipalities and imposed a nighttime curfew in several coastal provinces as part of the government's efforts to curb escalating violence.(ILKHA)