President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboaannounced this Monday that “traffic light” curfew in force in the country since last January 8 due to the security crisis that emerged at the beginning of the year, attributed to attacks by criminal gangs he calls terrorists.

Noboa advanced in TV interview TVamazonas that tonight he will announce a measure whereby cantons will have different curfew times and different rules.

Using the measure economic reactivation Well, otherwise, the “blow” will be dealt not only to tourism, but also to small businessmen, entrepreneurs and the economy as a whole, he added.

“We also cannot allow these narco-terrorist groups to destroy our way of life and our daily work,” the president commented.

Extend the state of emergency?

Noboa declared a state of emergency with a curfew from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am, while a series of attacks occurred as security forces tried to locate Adolfo Macias “Fito”gang leader “Choneros”to transfer him to a maximum security prison.

The search began on Sunday the 7th when it emerged that a prisoner, one of the most dangerous in the country, had escaped.

According to the decree, the state of emergency will continue sixty dayswith an opportunity thirty day extension.

“I think so today when I see things We will have to extend these another 30 days.. The work of the Armed Forces and the Police is working and we are striking hard against these narco-terrorist groups,” Noboa said.

He said that at the moment they cannot stop: “We cannot rest and cannot believe that this problem has been solved in two weeks. We must continue to fight.”

According to official data, special operations have ceased. In the first thirteen days, 2,763 people were arrested. government statements about an “internal armed conflict” against organized crime, of which 158 people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism.

Authorities say that between January 9 and 21, five suspected members of these gangs, now classified as terrorists, were killed, two police officers were killed, and eleven others were freed in various kidnappings apparently carried out by the mafia.

During this time they captured 1003 firearms, 1222 edged weapons126 weapon feeders, more 35700 bullets And 4802 explosives.

Ecuadorian law enforcement also seized more than 10 tons of drugs and more than $23,100 in cash.

According to government data, the average daily number of violent deaths has decreased from from 28 to 6 for the safety measures taken.

Noboa believes that efforts to improve security require a “complete” reform of the structure in charge of prisons. (SNAI) and what should be “permanent military presence” in the penitentiary system.

The military has been in charge of the country’s security since January 9, when the government declared an internal armed conflict against crime and designated 22 criminal groups as terrorists.

(according to information from EFE)