Curfews apply to only six provinces and one canton, government clarifies following confusion

The government clarified Tuesday afternoon that the curfew during power blackouts on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and four nights next week, applies only to six provinces and one canton. The provinces are Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Orellana, Santa Helena and El Oro, which remain under emergency declaration status due to high levels of criminal activity. Camilo Ponce Enríquez canton in Azuay Province, a hotspot of illegal mining activity, is also covered under the declaration.

Azuay Province Governor Santiago Malo

Government statements issued Monday night indicated the curfew was nationwide. A statement Tuesday morning by Interior Minister Mónica Palencia that “special concentration” would be applied to the six provinces and Camilo Ponce Enríquez caused additional confusion, the presidential press office said.

Despite the lack of a curfew in Cuenca and Azuay Province Governor Santiago Malo urged citizens to remain at home if possible. “Street and highway lighting will be turned off as will lighting in public areas,” he said. “From a safety standpoint, residents should avoid driving except in cases of emergency and avoid unlit public areas in general.”

Malo said that institutions such as hospitals, police headquarters and prisons will not be blacked out since they are equipped with emergency generators. Airports will also operate normally, he added.

Although there will probably be internet and cell phone service at the beginning of the blackout, Malo said this will probably go out within two or three hours. “There are no guarantees about digital services since they depend on electricity for most of their functions and for recharging batteries that are designed for short outages.”

The Cuenca mayor’s office said Tuesday afternoon that the tram schedule will be shortened on blackout days, with service beginning at 7:30 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Also Tuesday afternoon, the Education Ministry announced that classes at public schools and universities will start an hour later than normal on days following blackouts.