Soldiers stand guard outside the Turi prison, in Ecuador's southern city of Cuenca on January 8, 2024 (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

Noboa said on social media that he has signed an executive decree calling on the armed forces to carry out military operations, under international humanitarian law and with respect for human rights, to fight transnational criminal organizations operating in Ecuador.

Ecuador's government declared a 60-day state of emergency on Monday, with a nighttime curfew to quell growing violence in cities and prisons.

Tuesday's measure followed a day of riots and disturbances at several prisons, including a prison break in which 39 inmates escape from a facility in the Andean city of Riobamba, and a shocking armed takeover of a television station in Guayaquil in mid-broadcast.

Peru's government on Tuesday declared an emergency along its border with Ecuador. Prime Minister Alberto Otarola announced that the emergency declaration will entail the deployment of an unspecified number of army troops to support police forces to ensure security.