The President of Ecuador Guillermo Lasso declared an emergency in 14 of the 24 provinces of the country affected by low temperatures and an earthquake that killed 15 people, the General Secretariat of Communication (Segcom) reported on Tuesday.
The president signed a state of exception the day before "due to public calamity due to the severe season and the earthquake of March 18 last"which left 15 dead, one of them in Peru, the ministry said in a statement.
The state of emergency will allow the government to have economic resources to deal with the effects of the earthquake, floods and landslides in 14 of the 24 provinces of the nation.
"In these provinces, the negative consequences of natural events were more deeply evidenced."detailed the Segcom.
Since January, the rains have left 21 dead and more than 3,800 homes affected.
Heavy rains forced the suspension of crude oil pumping for five days in February, because an oil pipeline was in danger due to the collapse of a bridge.
The state of exception will govern for 60 days in the coastal Guayas, El Oro, Los RÃos, Santa Elena, Esmeraldas, Manabà and Santo Domingo.
The emergency will also apply in the Andean Pichincha, Loja, BolÃvar, Imbabura, Chimborazo, Azuay, and in the Amazon Napo.