Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has declared a state of emergency in three western provinces due to a rise in crime, BBC reported.

Lasso tweeted that there would be a curfew and thousands of soldiers and police would be sent to Guayas, Manabi and Esmeraldas to ensure peace and order.

In Ecuador, the number of murders and gang-related crimes has skyrocketed.

This is the second time a country's president has used emergency powers to combat violence since taking office last year.

The streets will feel the weight of the security forces, Lasso wrote. He said that 4,000 police officers and 5,000 Ecuadorian military personnel would be deployed to the three provinces.

He also said that the curfew, which will be introduced only in some areas, will be in effect from 23:00 to 05:00 local time.

Lasso blamed Ecuador's crime problems on drug-trafficking gangs. The country is used as a transit route for cocaine smuggled in from neighboring Peru and Colombia, and powerful Mexican drug cartels are said to operate through local gangs.