Puerto Azul imposes night curfew after disorder at waterfront

Governor Solomon Adeyemi announced a temporary curfew in Puerto Azul's waterfront districts on Friday morning, hours after what police described as unruly gatherings and property damage along the harbour promenade. The order restricts movement between 22:00 and 06:00 local time in the affected zones through the end of October. The Governor said the measure was necessary to "restore order and protect public safety," but offered no detailed account of the Thursday-night events or casualty figures.

Police said the disorder began around 20:30 when groups of young people gathered near the Central Market, initially in what appeared to be a spontaneous assembly. By the time police arrived to disperse the crowd, some storefronts had been damaged and at least one small restaurant reported vandalism. No injuries were reported, and police made no arrests. The Governor's office did not clarify what triggered the gathering or what demands, if any, the assembled people had made.

The curfew order has drawn immediate pushback from civil-liberties advocates and from the Costa Mar Regional Assembly's civil-affairs committee. The committee chair, Councillor Andrés Fuentes, said the measure "lacks proportionality" and that a two-week restriction on evening movement in a major city requires a clearer legal justification and public explanation. He indicated the committee would seek an emergency hearing before the Governor's office.

The Marine Ministry and the tourism board have made no public comment, but tourism operators told the Herald that the curfew timing—just as the shoulder season begins—risks a perception of instability among visitors. Hotel occupancy in Puerto Azul is typically at forty-five percent in late October; some operators worry the curfew will deter bookings for November.