Ecuador

Ecuadorean police have rescued 49 people kidnapped by the Los Lobos gang in Azuay province, arresting two suspects and seizing dynamite, weapons, and ammunition during an elaborate joint raid in a mining area

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

Social organizations in Ecuador protested against the elimination of fuel subsidies, with participants marching while criticizing President Daniel Noboa, as the government prepares to increase gasoline prices and phase out the US$644 million subsidy

Fight against organized crime has recently been intensified, with soldiers deployed to patrol streets, some limitations on personal freedoms, and efforts to eliminate corruption

The entry of foreign tourists via land borders with Peru and Colombia has been released and now only requires a criminal record certificate from the country of origin for the past five years or a review by the Ecuadorian Migration System

Ecuador defended its raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito last month, stating to judges at a major UN court that it acted to apprehend a "common criminal," referring to former Ecuadorian vice president Jorge Glas

Ecuador has approved a referendum to enhance security measures against organized crime, proposing military street patrols, criminal extradition, and increased prison terms

Ecuador has stopped receiving electricity from Colombia, with Colombian Minister of Mines and Energy, Andrés Camacho, stating that they've stopped exporting electricity to Ecuador as thermal power generation is at its maximum capacity

The US donated a Hercules military aircraft to Ecuador to help combat the rising violence from criminal gangs linked to drug trafficking; the aircraft was originally scheduled for delivery in 2026 but was expedited by 2 years

The Court of Ecuador has officially approved the constitutionality of the state of exception declared by President Daniel Novoa, covering the entire country and prisons and following the escape of the leader of the "Los Choneros" gang