Ecuador will launch a major offensive against criminal organisations in three western provinces this weekend, with logistical support from the United States, Interior Minister John Reimberg announced on Wednesday.
Speaking to a local radio station, Reimberg urged citizens to observe an 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew from 15 to 30 March in the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas — three of the most violent in the South American country. Residents must stay at home and keep roads clear to facilitate troop and equipment movements.
“We do not want collateral victims from the attacks we are about to launch,” Reimberg said. “We have significant support from U.S. forces for the operations we are about to carry out.” The U.S. Embassy in Ecuador did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The announcement came days after Ecuador and the U.S. began joint military operations against organised crime groups, though details of location and scope were not disclosed. The offensive aims to “destroy what they have built in various parts of the country,” Reimberg said, declining to provide specifics due to security concerns.
Since early 2021, Ecuador has faced a relentless offensive by organised crime groups with close ties to drug trafficking cartels in Colombia and Mexico. The country is considered a logistical hub for drug trafficking, serving as a staging and distribution point for narcotics entering from Colombia and Peru, which are then transported to Central America, the United States and Europe.
