Ecuadorian President Authorizes Interior and Defense Departments to Begin Emergency Procurement Mechanism.

On the 16th local time, Ecuadorian President Daniel Novoa signed and issued Executive Order No. 288 in the capital city of Quito, authorizing the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defense to lawfully initiate emergency procurement procedures within their respective jurisdictions to expedite the acquisition of goods and services necessary to maintain national security and public order. This is one of the measures taken by the Ecuadorian government in response to recent deteriorating security issues, aimed at enhancing the government's response speed to security challenges, strengthening logistic support capabilities for the police and armed forces, and more effectively combating criminal activities. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense issued an emergency notice on the 15th local time, announcing the launch of a security operation named "Comprehensive Attack" in the provinces of Guayas, Los Rios, and Manabi, deploying 10,000 soldiers to focus on combating local criminal gangs.