COVID-19 Civic Freedom Tracker
Keep Civic Space Healthy
This tracker monitors government responses to the pandemic that affect civic freedoms and human rights, focusing on emergency laws. For information about our methodology, click here.
For more information and analysis by region, click here.
The COVID-19 Civic Freedom Tracker is a collaborative effort by the ICNL, ECNL, and our global network of partners, with generous research support from the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin. This is an ongoing effort, and we welcome you to email us at adeblock@icnl.org and simona@ecnl.org to share additional resources.
Executive Decree No. 116
The President of Ecuador declared a State of Exception to halt the spread of COVID-19 in El Oro province and in the city of Guayaquil. The State of Exception establishes a curfew from Monday to Thursday from 8pm to 6:00am, and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6pm to 6am and blocks transportation between El Oro and other provinces. In Guayaquil, the decree requires indoor venues to allow for 50% of capacity, outdoor venues to be limited to 75%. In El Oro, there is a blanket cap of 25% for any type of facility.
(See primary source or citation here)Introduced 12 Jul 2021 Extended through 27 August 2021
Issue(s): Assembly, Movement
Type: order
Order No. 1291
The President of Ecuador, Lenín Moreno, declared a state of exception due to public calamity. The Order temporarily suspends the right to exercise the freedom of movement, association, and assembly. The Order includes a lockdown on weekends and a nightly curfew in most of the country. The mobility restrictions will begin on Friday evenings and will end at 5:00 AM on Mondays. From Monday to Thursday there will be a night-time curfew, with exceptions for healthcare, food distribution and strategic sectors. The measures are in force for 28 days from 23 April to 20 May 2021.
(See primary source or citation here)Introduced 22 Apr 2021
Issue(s): Association, Assembly, Emergency, Movement
Type: order
Executive Decree 1282
The President of Ecuador, Lenín Moreno, declared State of Exception due to public calamity responding to increasing COVID-19 infections in eight provinces. Executive Decree number 1282 declares a State of Exception in the provinces of Azuay, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Guayas, Loja, Manabí, Pichincha, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas for 30 days. This State of Exception includes a curfew from 2 -9 of April 2021, from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. The curfew prohibits circulating on roads and gathering in public spaces.
(See primary source or citation here)Introduced 2 Apr 2021
Issue(s): Assembly, Movement
Type: order
No. 1017 Declaring a State of Exception
The decree declares a "state of exception" to respond to the covid-19 pandemic. The decree suspends certain individual rights under the constitution, including the right to association and assembly. The decree also provides for governmental authority to use digital tools to surveil individuals under mandatory isolation or quarantine.
(See primary source or citation here)Introduced 16 Mar 2020
Issue(s): Association, Assembly, Emergency, Surveillance, Privacy
Type: order