Updated:12 June 2024 Latest update:Ecuador is under a state of 'internal armed conflict' due to crime. A separate state of emergency is in effect in the provinces of El Oro, Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Orellana, Santa Elena, Sucumbíos and Ponce Enríquez County in Azuay. If you're entering Ecuador via land or river borders from Peru or Colombia, authorities will require a police check covering the past 5 years, or you can request a background check at the border. We advise do not travel within 20km of the border with Colombia, except the official border crossing at Tulcan, due to the high risk of kidnapping and violent crime associated with drug-related criminal organisations. Electricity shortages, including planned outages, continue to affect the country.