Ecuador's president declares new state of emergency in 7 regions

QUITO, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa has declared a new 60-day state of emergency in five coastal provinces and three municipalities in the central provinces of Cotopaxi and Bolivar, to quell "grave internal unrest" sparked by extreme violence from organized crime.

The decree, signed Tuesday and effective Wednesday, allows security forces to enter and search homes without a warrant and suspends the right to private communication and correspondence in the provinces of Manabi, Guayas, Santa Elena, Los Rios and El Oro, all located in the coastal region.

The measure also extends to the municipalities of La Mana in Cotopaxi, and Las Naves and Echeandia in Bolivar in a bid to strengthen security and restore public order in areas hardest hit by violent crime.

These parts of the country were already under a state of emergency issued in August and renewed for 30 days on Oct. 6. ■