Ecuador travel warning issued amid 'no-go zones' as country's army battles gangs
The U.S. State Department has warned that citizens risk civil unrest, crime, and kidnapping in parts of Ecuador as areas of the country have been marked as no-go zones.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared a nationwide 60-day state of emergency on January 8 - warning the country was in a state of “internal armed conflict” against crime gangs.
The army has been deployed to combat drug gangs in many parts of Ecuador and the U.S. State Department has issued updated travel guidance on Friday (February 2) with updated information about the current state of emergency and crime in the province of Guayas.
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The Level 2 warning called on citizens to: “Exercise increased caution in Ecuador due to civil unrest, crime, and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk. U.S. embassy and consulate personnel are prohibited from traveling to some areas due to increased risk.”
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Large areas of the country’s second city Guayaquil have been declared off limits, with U.S citizens told not to travel to the southern part of the city. All areas south of Portete de Tarquí Avenue have been declared a no-go zone due to crime.
The warning also forbids travel to the cities of Huaquillas and Arenillas in the province of El Oro, The cities of Quevedo, Quinsaloma, and Pueblo Viejo in the province of Los Rios and The canton of Duran, in the province of Guayas.
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Police escorting captured alleged drugs boss Henry Loaiza Montoya in Tulcan, Ecuador on 02 Feb 2024 (Xavier Montalvo/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Esmeraldas city and all areas north of Esmeraldas city in Esmeraldas province are also off-limits until further notice.
“Crime is a widespread problem in Ecuador. Violent crime, such as murder, assault, kidnapping, and armed robbery, is prevalent and widespread. The rate of violent crime is significantly higher in areas where transnational criminal organizations are concentrated,” the State Department warning said.
The government has also said US Citizens should “reconsider” travel to several other parts of the country including: Guayaquil north of Portete de Tarquí Avenue, El Oro province outside the cities of Huaquillas and Arenillas, as well as Los Rios province outside the cities of Quevedo, Quinsaloma, and Pueblo Viejo.
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All areas south of Esmeraldas city in Esmeraldas province and the provinces of Sucumbíos, Manabí, Santa Elena, and Santo Domingo also made the “reconsider” list.
“Outside of Ecuador’s urban and semi-urban population centers, much of the country’s territory is sparsely populated and isolated. First responders’ and U.S. government officials’ access to rural and remote regions of the country is often extremely limited and can lead to significant delays in assistance to U.S. citizens in these areas,” the warning advised.
You can read the full text of the travel advisory notice here.
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