QUITO, Ecuador – Ecuador will launch a major offensive against criminal organizations in three western provinces this weekend with logistical support from the United States, the country’s interior minister said Wednesday.
In an interview with a local radio station, Secretary of the Interior John Remberg Citizens are urged to observe an 11 pm to 5 am curfew from March 15 to 30 in the provinces of Guayas, Los Rios and Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, three of the most violent provinces in the country. south american countries.
He said residents under the curfew need to stay in their homes and keep roads open to facilitate the movement of troops and equipment.
“We don’t want collateral victims from the attacks we’re about to launch,” Remberg said. “Our upcoming operations have strong support from the U.S. military.”
The U.S. Embassy in Ecuador did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from The Associated Press. Neither the U.S. Department of Defense nor U.S. Southern Command immediately commented on Ecuador’s weekend offensive.
The announcement comes just days after Ecuador and the United States began implementation. joint military operations against organized crime groups in the South American country, although at the time neither government disclosed details of the location and scope of the operation.
Remberg said the attacks against violent criminal gangs were aimed at “destroying the facilities they have set up across the country,” but he declined to provide specifics, citing security concerns.
Since early 2021, Ecuador has faced a relentless offensive by organized crime groups that, according to police, maintain close ties with drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico.
Ecuador is considered a logistical hub for drug trafficking, serving as a transit and distribution point for drugs entering the country (mainly from Colombia, but also from Peru). According to authorities, the illegal cargo was shipped from Ecuadorian seaports to destinations including Central America, the United States and Europe. ___
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