Ecuador hit by power cuts of up to 13 hours amid drought

A government decree ordering workers to stay home went largely ignored, with buses running as usual in the capital Quito, where traffic lights were out in some areas due to blackouts. The electricity crisis comes days before a key referendum on Sunday, in which Ecuadorans will decide whether to greenlight tougher measures against organized crime in a country gripped by bloody gang wars. Electricity provider Emelnorte detailed power cuts in northern Ecuador of up to 13 hours. "Yesterday, they...