Ecuador declares state of emergency over crime wave
- Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso has declared a 60-day state of emergency in the South American country on October 18, 2021, due to rise in violent drug crimes.
- President Lasso has pointed drug trafficking and consumption as the main drivers behind an increase in murders, home burglary, thefts of vehicles and goods, and muggings.
- Under the emergency measures, the armed forces and police would work together to carry out “arms checks, inspections, 24-hour patrols, and drug searches, among other actions.