Ecuador: More than 250 detained on first day of curfew to fight crime

The operations are carried out in the coastal provinces of Guayas, The Rivers, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas y The Goldthe most affected by the violence of organizations dedicated to drug trafficking, extortion and hitmen.

LOOK HERE: A part of Ecuador returns to night confinement to contain criminal violence

The first day of operations left 253 detainees “mostly (for) violation of curfew, carrying weapons“and the destruction of three”military objectives” as weapons depots, the ministry said.

The arrest of “a head of hitmen who was operating in some provinces“, declared the Minister of the Interior, John Reimbergon the Teleamazonas channel.

Law enforcement agencies also carry out operations against illegal mining with the “use of artillery“said the head of Defense, Gian Carlo Loffredo.

The province of El Oro, in the southwest of the country, bordering Peru, is the center of the dispute between the gangs of The Wolves and the Star Boxdedicated to illegal mining.

The government deployed 75,000 soldiers with support from Washington to share information and strengthen the capabilities of Ecuadorian security forces.

“Curfews are only good for the main streets, that’s where the military goes and carries out searches. Inside the neighborhoods the criminals walk around with rifles“, Lenín Baldeón, a 49-year-old security guard who works in Guayaquil (capital of Guayas).

Although they fear more economic losses, night business owners hope to have a few days of peace.

MORE INFORMATION: Ecuador: raids and several captured on the first day of the curfew to fight crime

We hope “at least in these 15 days recover some security“, he told AFP Ernesto Vasquezvice president of the Guayas nightclubs, who regrets the extortion suffered by merchants.

Ecuador is part of the alliance of 17 countries created by Donald Trump to combat drug trafficking in the region, after an agreement sealed at the beginning of the month in Miami under the name of “Shield of the Americas”.

During the curfew, from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. local time (04:00 a.m. GMT to 10:00 a.m. GMT), only health and emergency personnel can leave, as well as travelers who have their ticket in hand.