Ecuador declares state of emergency after violent clashes 

Ecuador’s government on Monday declared a state of emergency and imposed curfews in three provinces after a series of violent clashes broke out in the South American country. 

President Guillermo Lasso declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Manabi and Los Rios, as well as the city of Duran. The state of emergency is set to last for at least 60 days. The curfew is expected to vary during that period. 

The decision comes after several violent incidents left at least eight individuals dead. On Sunday, the mayor of the Ecuadorian port city of Manta was assassinated during an attack that killed one person and wounded four others. 

Mayor Agustin Intriago, 38, was making a neighborhood visit to inspect public works in the city when he was gunned down, according to local police. An innocent bystander was killed and four others were killed during the attack. 

The suspect in the shooting was taken into custody and murder is being investigated by authorities, Lasso said. 

Throughout the weekends, the country also saw riots in the prison Penitenciaria del Litoral in Guayaquil, one of the largest prisons in the country. The violence left at least six inmates were killed and 11 more were injured. The riots broke out during a clash between rival gang members. 

Following the violence, several inmates in at least 10 other prisons said they were going on a hunger strike and prisoners took 96 guards as hostages, according to Ecuadorean authorities. Authorities have not yet revealed the reasons for the demonstration. 

"We cannot deny that organized crime has permeated the state, political organizations, and society itself, it is a problem that has been brewing for more than a decade," Lasso said after a security cabinet meeting.