A nation-wide trial in Ecuador against 5 individuals accused of murdering presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio just began; Villavicencio, a journalist and former legislator known for exposing corruption, was shot after a rally in August 2023

A partial state of emergency was declared in Quito due to rising violence from drug trafficking groups, with the measure lasting 60 days and including a curfew, as the government combats organized crime linked to international cartels

Both day and night power outages are occurring amid the worst drought in 60 years, with the Ministry of Energy announcing that scheduled nighttime blackouts have extended into daylight hours due to severe weather conditions

María Daniela Icaza, the director of Ecuador's largest prison, was shot and killed by hitmen while traveling near Guayaquil, marking the second prison director assassination in less than two weeks