Ecuador President Daniel Noboa declares internal armed conflict and sanctions foreign troop deployment

On 18 June 2026 President Daniel Noboa signed Executive Decree 424, formally recognizing an internal armed conflict in Ecuador. The decree grants amnesties and sentence reductions for military, police and civilians who act against the conflict, and it authorises the receipt of specialised international cooperation, allowing foreign military personnel to operate in the country with immunity under existing international agreements.

The measure follows a deadly shooting at José Joaquín de Olmedo airport in Guayaquil on 17 June, where gang leader Carlos Alberto Suástegui was killed and two adolescents (aged 15‑16) were detained. In response, the government imposed a 60‑day state of exception in ten provinces and intensified security checks at the airport. Noboa announced that “from today narcoterrorists will face a stronger, better‑prepared Ecuador” and highlighted upcoming support from the United States and the European Union.

The decree also calls on the National Assembly to grant further amnesties and outlines coordination between the Armed Forces, National Police and cooperating states to neutralise criminal structures that threaten national sovereignty, public order and citizen safety.