SECURITY · ECUADOR
Key Facts
- —The country Ecuador uses the US dollar as its currency, and its Pacific ports are a major route for cocaine shipped to the United States and Europe.
- —Why it matters The coast, home to the port city of Guayaquil, is the centre of Ecuador’s gang violence and of most US travel warnings for the country.
- —Why now A curfew ran in four coastal provinces from 17 to 30 September, and President Daniel Noboa says it cut crime and extortion.
- —What happened On Wednesday 14 October, Noboa said special operations with a curfew will run in the coastal provinces from 1 to 10 November.
- —The numbers 10 days of planned curfew; four provinces under the September curfew; a 40% fall claimed by the president, in crimes or in homicides depending on the account of his remarks.
- —What it means for you The planned dates cover the 2 and 3 November holidays, when coastal travel peaks. The US travel advisory for Ecuador stands at Level 2.
- —Still open Which provinces, what hours, which exemptions, and when the decree will be issued.
- —Power Index Ecuador ranks 8th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 38.2 points (October 2026 edition).
Ecuador curfew measures will return to the coast in November, President Daniel Noboa said on Wednesday 14 October. He told Radio Centro in Ambato that special operations with a curfew will run in the coastal provinces from 1 to 10 November.
For US travellers and companies, the plan matters because the coast includes Guayaquil, Ecuador’s main port and business hub. The 10-day window also overlaps the All Souls’ Day holiday on Monday 2 November, when many Ecuadorians travel.
What Noboa Said About the Ecuador Curfew
Noboa, a centre-right businessman who leads the National Democratic Action (ADN) party, won re-election in April 2025. On the radio he said: “We are going to carry out a new series of special operations between 1 and 10 November, with a curfew in the provinces of the coast.”
He argued that curfews have worked and said the latest one coincided with the weeks with the fewest homicides of the year. He also said extortion had fallen significantly and that the operations were “hitting criminal economies,” the Quito daily El Comercio reported.
The Guayaquil newspaper Expreso quoted him as saying security forces had caught leaders linked to Mexico’s Jalisco New Generation and Sinaloa cartels and the Albanian mafia. Washington designated both Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organisations in February 2025.
Expreso reported that Noboa claimed a 40% fall in crime during the last curfew, while El Comercio described it as a 40% drop in homicides. The reports of the interview gave no breakdown of the figure.
How the September Curfew Worked
The last curfew ran from 17 to 30 September in four coastal provinces: Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos and El Oro. It was imposed under a state of exception, an emergency regime that lets the president limit some freedoms for a set period.
Diario Extra said the four provinces remain under successive states of exception linked to insecurity. It added that, if confirmed, the November measure would be Ecuador’s fourth curfew of 2026.
Our earlier reports, Ecuador Curfew Runs Nightly in Four Coastal Provinces, 185 Factories Told to Cut Power and Ecuador’s State of Emergency Puts a Midnight Curfew on Four Provinces to 30 September, cover the September rules. The November dates fall just before what Noboa called the worst months of El Niño, from late November to February.
What It Means for You
The US State Department rates Ecuador at Level 2, “exercise increased caution,” in an advisory updated on Monday 17 August 2026. It lists Do Not Travel zones that include parts of Guayaquil, Durán in Guayas and Huaquillas in El Oro.
Washington designated two Ecuadorian gangs, Los Choneros and Los Lobos, as foreign terrorist organisations in September 2025. That makes material support to them a federal crime and keeps Ecuador’s security policy on the US agenda.
Travellers planning coastal trips around the 2 November holiday should allow for limits on movement. Hours and exemptions will only be known once the government publishes the decree.
Investors should note that Noboa ties the curfews to falling extortion, a heavy cost for businesses on the coast. Whether those gains last after each operation ends is not yet clear from public data.
In the same interview, Noboa announced maintenance and investment work on the national power grid for Saturday 17 October. He said grid incidents had risen from about 20 a day in a normal year to 60 or 70 a day amid heavy rain.
For wider context, see Ecuador Explained: The Country, the Security Crisis, the Economy and What to Watch and Best Places to Live in Ecuador for Expats 2026. The Quito city guide and our Ecuador Flood Safety Guide for US Travelers on the Coast help with planning.
What Is Not Known
Noboa did not say which coastal provinces will be covered, and he gave no hours for the curfew. Diario Extra said no executive decree had been issued at the time of the announcement.
It is unclear whether the November measure will rest on a new state of exception or on an existing one. The rules for airport transfers, night-shift workers and tourists are also unknown.
Local reports differ on whether the 40% figure refers to all crimes or only to homicides. Independent data on the effect of the September curfew has not been published.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Ecuador’s new curfew take place?
President Daniel Noboa said it will run from 1 to 10 November 2026 in coastal provinces. The government has not yet issued the decree that sets the hours and areas.
Which provinces will be included?
Noboa only spoke of “the provinces of the coast” and gave no list. The September curfew covered Guayas, Manabí, Los Ríos and El Oro.
Why is Ecuador using curfews?
The government says curfews support special operations against gangs and have reduced crime and extortion. Noboa said the last one coincided with the year’s weeks with the fewest homicides.
Is it safe for Americans to travel to Ecuador’s coast?
The US State Department rates Ecuador at Level 2 and lists Do Not Travel zones in parts of Guayaquil, Guayas, El Oro, Los Ríos and Esmeraldas. Travellers should check the decree’s rules before trips between 1 and 10 November.
Does the curfew affect the November holidays?
Yes, the planned dates include All Souls’ Day on 2 November and Cuenca’s independence day on 3 November. Holiday travel to and along the coast could face limits on movement.
Sources: El Comercio; Expreso, curfew; Expreso, power grid; Diario Extra; US State Department, Ecuador Travel Advisory; US Federal Register, Los Choneros and Los Lobos designation, 5 September 2025; US Federal Register, cartel designations, 20 February 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief