QUITO - Ecuador's electoral court set April 21 for a referendum on measures to tighten security, fight organised crime and reform the constitution, it said on Wednesday, amid worsening conflict between government forces and criminal gangs.

The steps have been proposed by President Daniel Noboa, who launched a security offensive in early January to dismantle criminal groups he designated as terrorists. Noboa has also argued for legal reforms to expand the powers of Ecuador's police and military.

Ecuadoreans will vote on 11 questions, five of which concern reforms to the country's constitution, the National Electoral Council said in a statement.

Noboa had previously hoped to hold the referendum in March.

Questions will seek approval to impose stricter gun controls in areas close to jails and increase prison sentences for organized crime offences, among others.

Ecuador, long a haven for foreign retirees, has been gripped by spiraling violence since the coronavirus pandemic battered the South American country's economy.

Armed men stormed a TV-station on air last month and a presidential candidate was gunned down as he left a rally during last year's elections, while hundreds of inmates have been killed in prison riots. REUTERS