On Friday, Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa declared the second state of emergency in the country due to the energy crisis. This declaration led to rationalization of consumption, as the state of emergency aims to ensure the continuity of public electricity service.

Noboa, who took office last November, had issued directives a few days ago for power outages for periods during the day, but this step will be suspended on Sunday for a referendum on a set of security measures that he is likely to win.

His first emergency declaration in January was aimed at reducing rising crime by allowing more coordination between the army and police.

According to a decree published on the website of Noboa's office, he deployed the army and police to guard energy infrastructure in a state of emergency declared on Saturday for a period of 60 days.

The drought, caused in part by the climate phenomenon known as El Niño, has affected production activities at hydroelectric dams, which produce most of Ecuador's energy.