Plans for a national referendum to implement a stricter anti-crime legislation and tighten security measures have been announced in a bid to curb an upward trend of escalating crime rates and violence in Ecuador

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