MEXICO CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th October, 2019) The command of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces imposed restrictions on people's movement in "strategically important areas" across the country amid the ongoing wave of protests in the Latin American nation.
On Saturday, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno imposed a curfew in the capital of Quito and its outskirts. The Ministry of Tourism called on tourists not to leave hotels and the airport of Quito.
"From 3:00 p.m. [20:00 GMT] Saturday, October 12 ... a ban on movement in strategically important areas has been imposed for 24 hours," the Ecuadorian Armed Forces wrote on their Twitter page.
The list of strategically important areas includes public, military and police facilities; port and airports; telecommunications infrastructure; water and power supply facilities; oil production plants and refineries.�
Mass protests erupted in Ecuador in early October as thousands rallied across the country against the government's economic reforms, particularly, the decision to end decades-long fuel subsidies for people. According to Moreno, Ecuador could no longer afford them and the cuts could help the country save some $2.27 billion a year. Additionally, the abolition of fuel subsidies was part of the Ecuadorian government's deal with the International Monetary Fund to be eligible for a $4.2 billion loan.
