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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises against all non-essential travel to Ecuador at this time, because the security situation is “currently highly unpredictable”. This was evident on Wednesday from the latest update of the travel advice on the website of the federal government service.
Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency on Monday after notorious drug lord Adolfo Macias, or ‘Fico’, escaped from prison. The violence then escalated. For example, armed men entered the buildings of TV channel TC Television in the port city of Guayaquil on Tuesday during a live broadcast.
The Foreign Affairs calls on fellow countrymen to “strictly” respect the curfew that Noboa imposed together with the state of emergency, between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. There is an exception to this curfew for people who have to travel to the airport for flights scheduled during the hours of the curfew.
The Foreign Office points out that the violence escalated throughout the territory, including the capital Quito. There were kidnappings of police officers, criminals escaped from various prisons, riots broke out in prisons with guards taken hostage, and vehicles were set on fire.
“Compatriots on the ground are advised to exercise extreme caution throughout the territory, in particular to avoid travel to the provinces of Guayas (including Guayaquil) and Esmeraldas, to strictly avoid gatherings and to remain informed of the safety measures implemented by the local authorities are taken. In addition, it is generally recommended to inform yourself well before traveling (including to and from the airports), to regularly listen to the local news and to always follow the advice of the local authorities,” it said.
Belgians in need can contact the police via 911. There is also the embassy in the Peruvian capital Lima, with emergency telephone +51 999 965 550, and the honorary consulates in Quito and Guayaquil are available to fellow countrymen.