Authorities in the Balao canton, in the province of Guayas, declared a 60-day state of emergency after suffering their second major flood in less than two weeks due to the Balao River overflowing, a situation exacerbated by heavy rainfall caused by the El Niño phenomenon.

⚠️ The environmental and social catastrophe in southwestern Ecuador has left more than 350 families affected and infrastructure submerged. The Emergency Operations Committee (COE) and the National Secretariat for Risk Management (SNGR) confirmed that the disaster is being exacerbated by sedimentation and deforestation caused by mining in the upper Ponce Enríquez watershed.