road

The primary road through the region, world-famous Highway 1, which clings to cliffs high above the Pacific Ocean in postcard-worthy fashion, is almost constantly closed by landslides, isolating communities and stranding weary travelers.

Having just finished yet another grueling October campaign, they are bracing for the long road required to get back.

They can be minor, covering roads and driveways with muck, or large and destructive, capable of moving cars at speeds of up to 35 mph and pummeling homes with boulders and a wall of mud.

The Met Office advised that there was a chance of power cuts as well as road closures.

In Imbabura province, where Indigenous protesters blocking roads clashed with security forces -- leaving at least two dead -- more than two-thirds of the population voted "No" to the referendum's four questions.