Ecuador declares state of emergency in 3 Andean provinces

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso on Friday declared a 30-day state of emergency in the three Andean provinces of Pichincha, Imbabura and Cotopaxi, where most acts of violence have occurred over the past five days, reported Xinhua.

"Last night (Thursday) I called for dialogue and the response was more violence. There is no intention to seek solutions," Lasso said in a televised address to the nation, lashing out at the road blockades and other disruptive actions in the first five days of indigenous agitation.

The nationwide indefinite protest was called by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (Conaie), the largest indigenous organization in the South American country. It demands a series of economic and social concessions from the government.

Under the state of emergency, the National Police and the Armed Forces will take actions to maintain order and prevent acts of violence in the three provinces.

The city of Quito was declared a "security zone," where a Joint Task Force formed by the Armed Forces will guarantee the protection of the city.

Starting from Saturday, a curfew will be imposed in Quito from 10:00 p.m. (1700 GMT) to 5:00 a.m. (0000 GMT) local time.

Meanwhile, in the three provinces the exercise of the right to freedom of association and assembly will be suspended, limiting gatherings in public places.

In his message, Lasso extended a dialogue invitation to the indigenous people for seeking solutions that alleviate the situation of Ecuadorian families.