Azuay State of Exception Extended for Another 30 Days

Azuay is one of 10 provinces where Ecuador extended the state of exception for another 30 days, according to a report from El Mercurio published August 14.

The extension is based on the new Decree 472. The report says intelligence documents identify the presence and activity of the organized armed group Los Lobos in the province. It also identifies the areas with the greatest reported criminal incidence: Cuenca Norte, Cuenca Sur, and the canton of Camilo Ponce Enríquez.

Why the province remains included

The source describes Camilo Ponce Enríquez as a strategic point because of its geographic location and connections with El Oro and Guayas. The report says those conditions favor the movement of criminal actors and the development of illicit economies.

It also says Los Lobos concentrates illicit activity in the cantons of Cuenca and Ponce Enríquez. The activities identified in the report include the distribution and sale of drugs, along with related crimes such as extortion, kidnapping, and robbery.

The intelligence report also identifies the eventual presence of Sao Box, described as a group from El Oro. According to the report, members of that group are carrying out actions intended to expand their influence and dispute criminal-control areas in Cuenca.

What this means for Cuenca expats

The extension is a security measure, but the source does not publish a neighborhood-by-neighborhood operating schedule. It identifies Cuenca Norte and Cuenca Sur as priority districts in the intelligence assessment, not as a statement that every street in those districts has the same conditions.

For residents, the useful takeaway is to continue treating local security information as location-specific. Check current guidance before moving through unfamiliar areas, keep normal precautions around transport and valuables, and confirm any time-sensitive plans with local contacts rather than assuming the legal extension creates a citywide curfew.

The report does not state that a curfew has been declared for Cuenca. It also does not say that all services or businesses operate under one uniform restriction. The decree's practical effect should therefore be understood through official updates and local enforcement information as it develops.

Source: El Mercurio