Corona and Democracy - Ecuador

On this page, we are collecting information on the effects of the measures taken to halt the spread of the COVID-19 virus on democracy in Ecuador.

Information on COVID-19 measures and democracy
Type of measures Measures & sources
Limitations to freedom of movement
  • Closure of all borders (land, sea and air). Foreigners may not enter the country.
  • Curfew from 14:00 until 05:00, those who do not comply face a fine of 100 USD, repeat offenders face prison time.

   6 April:

  • A nationwide vehicle rationing system is in place, private vehicles cannot circulate during the weekend.

   24 April:

  • All nation is under red restrictions, individuals are permitted to leave home for essential goods and services exclusively.

6 May:

  • State of emergency extended until June 15

17 June:

  • State of emergency extended for 60 days 
Limitations to electoral rights
  • Elimination of "unnecessary expenses" from the next electoral process (2021) and reallocation of them to meet the priorities of the health emergency.
Limitation to civil rights
  • Suspension of classes.
  • Vehicle restriction: on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, cars with plates ending in even number and zero will not be allowed to circulate; while on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, cars with plates ending in odd number will not be allowed to circulate.
  • Closure of public services, with the exception of health, safety, risk and other services considered essential, in addition to the food and basic services industries.
  • Since March 24th, the curfew has been extended to the whole country from 14:00 to 05:00.
  • The deadline for the registration and regularization process of Venezuelan citizens in Ecuador has been extended to 60 additional days.
  • The Ministry of Public Works issues a policy on disinfection in ports.
  • As of Monday, April 6, vehicles with license plates ending in 1 and 2 will be allowed to drive on Monday; 3 and 4 on Tuesday; 5 and 6 on Wednesday; 7 and 8 on Thursday; 9 and 0 on Friday. No private vehicle may be driven on Saturday and Sunday.
  • Senior military officials from Ecuador and Peru met in Huaquillas to reinforce measures to control the borders and the passage of foreigners.

25 May:

  • Police break up protests and beat protestors against the government's lack of guidance for handling bodies of people deceased from COCID-19
Risks to data security  
 
Limitations to freedom of information

 
 
Emergency powers for government
  • 12/03/2020 Declaration of sanitary emergency.
  • 16/03/2020 President Lenin Moreno decrees a state of emergency due to public calamity throughout the country. The exercise of the right to free movement and association is suspended. The national EOC will determine the circulation schedules.
  • The province of Guayas (epicentre of the pandemic in Ecuador) is declared a special security zone.
  • The Ministry of Public Health moved its headquarters from Quito to Guayaquil, the epicentre of the pandemic in Ecuador.
  • The Armed Forces are ordered to tighten control over the flow of private persons within the provincial boundaries of the entire national territory.
   16 May:
  • The state of emergency has been extended for 30 days until 15 June.
Corona laws - full text  
Various
  • Creation of the Family Emergency Protection Bond for the coronavirus.
  • Ecuador extended the payment of taxes and VAT for microenterprises that, regardless of their economic activity, have had annual gross revenues of up to USD 300,000 in fiscal year 2019.
  • US$115 million earmarked for Covid-19 emergency
  • The Government authorizes employers and employees to "negotiate" the payment of salarie
  • 12 Hospitals of the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security implement artificial intelligence software for the timely detection of COVID-19
  • There will be no mass graves, but rather single-person graves for those who die during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • A cell phone number is enabled for families that require the lifting of a death and burial. 
  • Report: 'As Bodies Accumulate, So Do Fears of a High Coronavirus Toll in #Ecuador' https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/world/americas/coronavirus-Ecuador-guayaquil.html?smid=tw-share
 
Last updated on

08.06.2020

 

Please note that we are constantly updating the information under rapidly changing circumstances, the information on this page should not be taken to be a complete overview of measures in a country. 

See some information that is missing? Let us know about it here.