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The Cuenca Dispatch publishes exclusive reports on Ecuador’s economy, politics, crime and more that you will not find published anywhere else on the web.
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Volume 6, Issue 31
From the week of May 08, 2022
Bloody riot in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas prison leaves 44 dead
Another day, another bloody riot in the Ecuador prison system. This time the scenario played out early Monday morning at the Bellavista Rehabilitation Center in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas prison. The Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed 44 inmates died in the riot that began at 12:30 a.m. Monday. From Israel, where he arrived for an […]
Cuenca creates more full jobs than the rest of the country
Six out of 10 people have full employment in Cuenca, the highest rate in the country. The Azuay capital also registers the highest labor income. The situation of the labor market in Cuenca stands...
Ecuador becoming a key transit connection for cocaine shipments to Europe
During the first four months of 2022, at the national level, more than 85 tons of drugs have been seized nationwide in Ecuador: double what was registered last year. More than half of the seized substances were already in the containers, about to leave for North American and European ports. In the balance of 2021, […]
Photo caption: Tadpoles of the marsupial frog were released in protected areas of the Bicentennial Park in Quito.
In danger of extinction, the marsupial frog returns to Quito Of five species of frogs that once existed in the Ecuadorian capital, three no longer exist. Approximately 200 marsupial frog tadpoles were reintroduced into protected areas in Quito’s Bicentennial Park, where the old airport used to be, in the north of Quito. On Saturday morning […]
Ecuador pays lower interest rates for most of its foreign and public debt
The financial cost of Ecuador’s foreign debt has fallen since 2019, however domestic debt obligations are becoming more onerous. The average interest rate on Ecuador's public debt stood at 3.99% in...
Zone 8 Commander says “We are concerned about the amount of weapons entering the country”
In a recent interview, the Police Commander of Zone 8, Víctor Zárate also questioned why the Police should guard people under house arrest instead of patrolling the streets. General Víctor Zárate, Commander of Zone 8, made up of Guayaquil, Durán and Samborondón, says that the Police are wasting resources in guarding people under house arrest, […]
Los Choneros and Los Lobos may become the next big drug cartels
The so-called ‘cockroach effect’ adds to the mutation of the hegemonic gangs that seek to become cartels. In the middle of everything is the operation of microtraffickers, who compete for space. The Minister of the Interior, Patricio Carrillo, says that all the linked acts of violence, especially in Guayaquil, as well as the strengthening, in […]
The Court of Justice of Guayas revokes habeas corpus to alias ‘JR’
Update to: Alias ’JR’ house arrest under habeas corpus cancelled Published: Volume 6, Issue 30 The Specialized Chamber of the Guayas Provincial Court of Justice revoked the habeas corpus issued in favor of Junior Roldán, alias ‘JR,’ second in command of the Los Choneros criminal gang. With this decision, ‘JR’ must remain in the Guayas […]
But it’s safe here!
Wow, I saw a draft of this week’s edition of The Cuenca Dispatch, and it seems like it could be called the “Annual Crime Edition.” But I guess as stuff happens, it has to be written. And this week, the gangs seemed to have jumped to the front pages. And there wasn’t even a story […]
Prado acknowledges that Ecuadorian shrimp has problems entering China
Update to: China says coronavirus found in Ecuador shrimp packaging; Ecuador says all exports meet international biosafety protocols Published: Volume 4, Issue 41 China's temporary suspensions of...
Inflation reached 2.89% in April 2022, according to the INEC
Update to: Inflation, driven by transportation, reaches 2.71% in February, Published: Volume 6, Issue 22 The cities where consumer prices increased the most, in annual terms, are Cuenca, Santo Domingo and Manta. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose and stood at 2.89% in April 2022, compared to the same month in 2021, according to the […]
Volume 6, Issue 30
From the week of May 01, 2022
CFN and BanEcuador will merge to create new public bank
The new entity will be the Bank for Economic Development of Ecuador BP The National Government is in the process of merging the National Financial Corporation (CFN) and BanEcuador, as approved under...
Cuenca to push for popular consultation defining Turi as a “locals only” prison
Over the years, the Cuenca prison ceased to be regional and became national. From the model with which it was conceived, it has become a prison that houses ringleaders and high-risk prisoners who come from all over the country. That prison has not been exempted from gang disputes and inmate murders, a worrying situation in a […]
Eight Minister’s and one Secretary resigned from Lasso’s cabinet in the first year of his term
Most resignations occurred in April 2022. In its first eleven months, President Guillermo Lasso’s government has had nine ministers and secretaries resign. At least 5 of those were in April 2022, a few weeks before President Lasso celebrates a year (on May 24th) in office. Mae Montaño, Minister of Economic and Social Inclusion The first Minister to go, […]
Glas appears before a judge in the Guayas Court of Justice
Update to: Glas released from prison after serving only 4 years for three different felony crimes Published: Volume 6, Issue 27 On Friday, April 29th, the former Vice President of the Republic,...
If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be
“It’s déjà vu all over again.” Yogi Berra said that. He said a lot of “Yogi-isms” over the years. Like, “You can observe a lot by watching.” Or “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” He was one heck of a ball player and certainly a character. And I got to meet him once. I […]
Lasso accuses Correa and Nebot of manipulating the Assembly
According to Lasso, the two want to “destabilize Ecuadorian democracy.” “Mr. [Rafael] Correa and Mr. [Jaime] Nebot together, these twins from the first day of my government are seeing how they destabilize Ecuadorian democracy,” said President Guillermo Lasso. According to him, former President Rafael Correa and former Mayor of Guayaquil, Jaime Nebot, —two of the most important […]
New Minister of Energy and Mines will try to tackle Lasso’s oil production goals
Vice minister Vera replaces Juan Carlos Bermeo who only lasted 11 months in the role. Xavier Vera Grunauer is a civil engineer from Guayaquil. He was the Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines until Thursday, when President Guillermo Lasso installed him as head of that ministry, replacing Juan Carlos Bermeo Calderón. Bermeo, who had held the position since June 2021, […]
State of exception decreed in Guayas, Manabí and Esmeraldas putting soldiers and police in the streets
The measure includes a curfew in certain parishes and special operations by the Police and the Armed Forces Making international news, President Guillermo Lasso announced that there will be a 60-day state of emergency in Guayas, Manabí and Esmeraldas. The objective of the state of exception, Lasso said, is to try to combat the criminal gangs that dominate those provinces. Lasso made […]
Over the last 4 years 678 police officers have been dismissed for ‘very serious’ offenses
Corruption reaches all spheres, including institutional ones. The National Police is no exception and has the task of investigating their own. In the last few weeks alone, six policemen have been...
Alias ’JR’ house arrest under habeas corpus cancelled
Update to: Judge who granted habeas corpus to Los Choneros leader dismissed by the Judicial Council Published: Volume 6, Issue 29 Junior Roldán, alias ‘JR’, will have to go to a hospital. This was ordered on Thursday by the judge of Penitentiary Guarantees, Carlos Cedeño. The magistrate decided to revoke the house arrest of the […]
Volume 6, Issue 29
From the week of April 24, 2022
Car bomb explodes in front of the Guayaquil regional prison
It happened at half past three in the morning. It is the third bombing in 2022. The terror of organized crime networks hammers insistently in Guayaquil, which has become one of the most violent...
Judge who granted habeas corpus to Los Choneros leader dismissed by the Judicial Council
Lawyer Pedro Moreira only lasted five months as judge of the Guayaquil Penitentiary Guarantees Unit. The plenary session of the Judicial Council decided to dismiss the now former judge Moreira on Monday, April 25, 2022. It did so after Moreira used a controversial ‘habeas corpus’ ruling to grant house arrest to Junior Roldán Paredes, alias JR, one of the leaders […]
Ecuador’s business climate deteriorated in the first quarter of 2022
The war in Ukraine, the lockdowns in China and the power struggle between the Government of Guillermo Lasso and the Assembly have had an impact on the business climate in Ecuador. After a spike due...
Lasso says he will not allow the siege of criminals ‘assisted’ by corrupt judges in Ecuador
President Guillermo Lasso, said this Sunday that he will not allow the siege of criminal gangs that have generated a wave of insecurity in the country, aided by judges who, according to him, have abused their hierarchy to favor criminals. “I will not allow Ecuador to become a State besieged by drug gangs aided by […]
Lasso insists on an investment law with public-private partnerships
Update to: Guillermo Lasso: ‘I must govern without considering that the National Assembly exists’ Published: Volume 6, Issue 25 The investment law is still in the plans of the national government. This was indicated by President Guillermo Lasso, in his weekly press interview on April 26, 2022. The President said that his first two paths […]
Court requests extradition of Correa, Belgium granted him asylum
Belgium has granted political asylum to former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who has an executed sentence of eight years in prison for the crime of bribery in the Bribery case—which he maintains is an act of judicial persecution. The former president’s Belgian lawyer, Christophe Marchand, confirmed the news on April 22, 2022, the same day it was learned that […]
Dive boat sinks causing diesel fuel spill in Galapagos
A diesel spill is being controlled in Galapagos. Around 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 23, 2022, a diving boat sank in Academia Bay, on Santa Cruz Island — the most populated island in the insular province. The boat’s sinking caused a diesel spill in the area where the accident occurred. According to the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, personnel […]
Monsters do exist
It’s early summer here. The locals call it rainy season, but to me, it’s early summer. The mornings are crisp and cool, and the birds wake early at 6:00 a.m. to start their day. I tend to lounge in longer than that, though their tweets (the original tweet) get louder quickly and demand that I […]
Ernesto Weisson, one of the ‘Miami Boys’, pleads guilty in the United States
Update to: Ecuadorians’ investment firm defrauded South America’s wealthy out of over $350 million Published: Volume 6, Issue 18 The founder of the massive Biscayne Capital scam, used to pay bribes to officials in Ecuadorian corruption cases, plead guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The first of the ‘Miami Boys’ to […]
Volume 6, Issue 28
From the week of April 17, 2022
$400 million in new investments in Ecuador bring 2022 total to $1.360 billion
The National Planning Secretariat reported last Thursday that the Strategic Committee for the Promotion and Attraction of Investments (Cepai) approved $400 million more in new investments. The...
Chinese car sales dominate Ecuador market share and grow dramatically in first quarter 2022
The market share of the Ecuadorian-assembled automotive industry has fallen significantly since 2015. Vehicle sales in Ecuador’s first quarter of 2022 registered a growth of 21.6%, compared to the same period in 2021, according to data revealed by the Association of Automotive Companies of Ecuador (Aeade). The car business is growing significantly in the country, amid a greater […]
Don’t spill that water glass
Today I was talking to my friend Wayne. We were both remarking on how much easier our lives are here than in the US and expressing shock at how expensive everything has gotten there. It’s easier to see your glass as half-full when you go back there. For lots of reasons. But certainly lately because […]
National Court asks the Constitutional Court to review the application of habeas corpus in Ecuador
Update to: Glas released from prison after serving only 4 years for three different felony crimes Published: Volume 6, Issue 27 The president of the National Court of Justice (CNJ), Iván Saquicela, sent a document to the Constitutional Court for the authorities of the two entities to meet with the aim of discussing the application of ‘habeas corpus’ in Ecuador. The request, which bears the […]
Ecuador and Argentina sign declaration on Celac, Trade and Venezuela
President Alberto Fernández spoke of resuming diplomatic relations with Venezuela while President Guillermo Lasso indicated that his government ‘will analyze the issue.’ Venezuela was one of the high points of an interesting meeting between the presidents of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso and Alberto Fernandez, from Argentina. After the meeting, which lasted almost two hours, both leaders […]
Group pushes at-home Covid-19 testing though Minister of Health says it will hurt Ecuador’s pandemic surveillance efforts
According to the Ecuadorian Association of Distributors and Importers of Medical Products, the cost of the test would not exceed $7.00 Last January, a family of 15 members was tested for Covid-19....
Justice Commission challenges constitutionality of ‘abortion for rape law’ with its own lawsuit
Assemblywoman Johanna Moreira said that this was “the way we are going to continue the fight” for victims of sexual violence. The Justice Commission of the National Assembly will present a claim of unconstitutionality against the law of interruption of pregnancy in cases of rape when it is published in the Official Registry. This bill entered into force by the […]
Tropical plant thought to be extinct rediscovered in Ecuador
Scientists from the University of Miami found Gasteranthus extinctus in the Centinela mountain range A team of researchers from the University of Miami visited Ecuador in search of a tropical plant that had been thought to be extinct for nearly 40 years, Gasteranthus extinctus. Biology professor Kenneth Feeley encouraged graduate student Riley Fortier to join an […]
TSA ruling on mask mandates affects flights to and from Ecuador and US
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the United States has indicated that it will no longer enforce the use of masks in public transport and transportation centers after a court ruling ordered by a Florida judge. The requirement to wear masks within public transport applied to planes, trains and other means of transport due to […]
Volume 6, Issue 27
From the week of April 10, 2022
SRI says revenue for the first quarter of 2022 was 29% higher than last year
SRI issued the quarterly report, which shows a significant recovery in both VAT and ICE. An increase in income from equity was also reported. SRI delivered the collection figures from January to...
Spanish investigation says bribes were paid to get Quito metro contracts
The alleged irregular payments were revealed by the Spanish media outlet El Confidencial. A Spanish consortium allegedly paid bribes of at least $1.2 million to Ecuadorian officials to secure a consultancy contract for the construction of the Quito Metro. This was revealed last week by an investigation published in the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial. The Spanish Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office “has […]
Spain’s National Police dismantle drug operation with roots in Ecuador
During the operation, four people linked to container import companies from Ecuador were arrested and a total of 3,500 kilos of cocaine, 250,000 euros in cash and seven high-end vehicles were seized. Last week agents of Spain’s National Police, in a joint operation with Customs Surveillance of the Tax Agency, dismantled a criminal organization dedicated […]
2022 is shaping up to be a complex year for the banana sector
Update to: Exporters buy 685,000 clusters of bananas from producers in first week of plan to affront loss of sales to Russia and Ukraine Published: Volume 6, Issue 25 The drop in Ecuador’s banana exports occurs after four years of upward trend, according to data recorded by the Central Bank. The banana sector, the second […]
Sick of being sick
I’ve been sick for the last 6 days. I had been in Denver for a week and then travelled to Florida to visit my mother before I returned to Ecuador. I started feeling sick the day after I got here. Out of caution I’ve taken 4 at-home Covid tests and they have all been negative. […]
Pastaza province, Indigenous groups collaborate on forest conservation
Pastaza province, located in Ecuador’s Amazon, has implemented a $52 million sustainable development plan working with Indigenous nations that includes their ancestral practices, knowledge, and life plans. The plan relies on curtailing dependence on oil and mining projects for economic development and implementing chakras, an ancestral agroforestry system, and conservation projects to boost food security […]
Government imports banana plants resistant to the fungus Fusarium R4T
Update to: $8 million more to be invested to prevent arrival of Fusarium tropical race 4 Published: Volume 6, Issue 22 The National Institute of Agricultural Research (Iniap) will validate the plants, through a process of agronomic evaluation, adaptability and performance. The Government imported 4,620 banana plants of the Cavendish somaclonal variety, which is a […]
Lasso’s partial veto of the rape abortion law will go to the Constitutional Court
Assembly members and constitutional experts have divided opinions on whether the Legislature has the power to refer the veto to the Court. The plenary session of the National Assembly decided to send to the Constitutional Court President Guillermo Lasso’s partial veto of the law of interruption of pregnancy in cases of rape. However, constitutional experts are divided on whether […]
Glas released from prison after serving only 4 years for three different felony crimes
Glas served 4 years of an 8-year sentence in the Latacunga prison. Glas had received sentences of 6 years, 8 years and 8 years. Jorge David Glas Espinel, former Vice President of Ecuador, left the...
Cuenca’s old mansions are born again as restaurants, bars, hotels and tourist attractions
The restoration of heritage houses is booming in the Historic Center of Cuenca. Buildings from more than a century ago have become modern hotels, restaurants and terraces that are committed to the...
Volume 6, Issue 26
From the week of April 03, 2022
As spending falls revenues increase 29% in first quarter of 2022
The rise in the price of oil, higher collection due to the tax reform and the increase in domestic sales left a fiscal surplus of $609 million in the first quarter of 2022. The Government's fiscal...
Ecuador expresses interest in joining the UN Security Council
The country has belonged to the body on three previous occasions, in 1950, 1960 and 1991, as part of the non-permanent members without veto power. Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Holguín traveled to the United States to, and in addition to discussing issues of the bilateral relationship, promoted Ecuador’s candidacy for the United Nations Security Council, […]
Ecuadorians will no longer need in-person interviews for US Visa renewal
After having overcome the worst part of the pandemic, the United States Embassy in Ecuador announced that as of April 4th, people who want to renew their US nonimmigrant visa —B1 (business) and B2 (tourism)— will no longer have to attend a face-to-face interview. This is the same procedure that applied before 2021 will be resumed. […]
Government protests Honduras invitation to Rafael Correa
The former president was in Honduras to present the “good practices” of his administration. The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry said that he is a fugitive from justice. A diplomatic note of protest was...
I’m not lost, I’m wandering
I was out with a group of guys last night in Denver. I used to get together with all of them every Tuesday for “Tuesgerday.” Tuesgerday was a special at a local pub where we got a half-pound burger and pint of beer for $6.00. Of course, that price wouldn’t float today. But that restaurant […]
Minister of Government draws two ‘red lines’ for dialogue with the Assembly
The Minister of Government referred to a possible referendum as Plan B of the Executive. Jiménez also confirmed the departure of the Undersecretary of Governance, Juan Manuel Fuertes. Two red lines that could strain the dialogue between the Executive and the National Assembly have been drawn by the new Minister of Government, Francisco Jiménez. During […]
Nicovita to spend $80 million to build new shrimp feed plant in Guayaquil
Nicovita, a brand of Vitapro, which in 2021 has already invested $35 million in expanding its production and storage capacity in Ecuador. With an investment of more than $80 million for this year, Nicovita, a brand of the Vitapro company, announced the construction of a new shrimp feed plant that will expand its production capacity by more than 45%. This […]
The murder of Nange Yeti, Waorani sage
The investigation into his murder began 3 months after his body was found. On December 19, 2021, Nange Yeti Nimonca, a grandfather and Pikenani —sage— of the Waorani nationality, disappeared while on patrol in the community of Wawampare in the Amazonian province of Pastaza, near the Curaray River. His lifeless body was found two days later, on December […]
The war in Ukraine exposed the trafficking of ‘student packages’
The crisis unleashed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine exposed an unusually large presence of Ecuadorian students in Ukraine, many of whom did not have passports. Among the thousands of students from...
Twenty-one dead as gangs use rifles in Turi prison riot
After a period of calm during the first quarter of 2022, in which no brutal murders or clashes in the country’s prisons were recorded, in the early morning of April 3rd, that tense calm ended. Around 1:30 in the morning, in prison No. 1, better known as the Turi prison, shooting was heard, according to the residents […]
Volume 6, Issue 25
From the week of March 27, 2022
A cornerstone of Lasso’s economic plan, the Investment bill gets voted down
Last week, with only 46 votes in favor, the plenary session of the National Assembly failed to approve the Investment bill—a pillar of President Guillermo Lasso’s efforts to bring large foreign investments to Ecuador—and the project was ‘shelved.’ After the vote, Pachakutik assemblyman Salvador Quishpe moved to reconsider the vote, but it did not reach enough […]
Argentine company Pampa remains interested in energy projects in Ecuador even with failure of Investment Law
The company had been enthusiastic about the possible approval of the investment law, but despite the shelving of it indicated that it still has an interest. La Pampa Energía, an Argentine company that has played a leading role in the energy sector in its own country, is analyzing potential investments in Ecuador. Although in initial discussions […]
Azutaxi is legal, but are platforms like Uber, Didi and Cabify?
In Quito last week, a group of taxi drivers blocked streets in the Historic Center for more than three days to request that the operation of digital transportation platforms —such as Uber, Cabify...
A bumpy ride
I spent most of yesterday flying back to Denver for medical appointments. That’s been a norm for me over the last year. But things are good and much improved over 2021. The trip meant several connections, even though I wasn’t going for the cheapest route. Simply the way it worked out. And while I wasn’t […]
Ecuador has the second highest level of chronic malnutrition in the region
Right now, from March 28th to April 1st, government representatives from 33 countries and members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are meeting in Quito for the 37th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, in order to define the path to follow to combat hunger and malnutrition […]
Entrepreneurs are furious over the filing of the Investment bill, cite lost opportunities for employment
Last Thursday, the National Assembly decided to file the draft Organic Law for Investment Attraction, Strengthening of the Securities Market and Digital Transformation that the Executive sent as an...
Exporters buy 685,000 clusters of bananas from producers in first week of plan to affront loss of sales to Russia and Ukraine
Acorbanec expects to close this first week with 480,000 clusters purchased and continue with the measure for seven more weeks. The banana export sector began this week buying from producers a part of the banana that could not be exported to the Russian and Ukrainian markets due to the war. The measure is a consensus between […]
Guillermo Lasso: ‘I must govern without considering that the National Assembly exists’
The president says he will push forward without the Assembly to help Ecuador’s economy grow. President Guillermo Lasso was consulted –this Tuesday, March 29, 2022– in the program Let's meet with the...
Petroecuador planning three major projects to double the country’s hydrocarbon production
Company’s manager says oil and gas partnerships will help increase yield. Through three megaprojects, two oil and one gas, Petroecuador hopes to double its hydrocarbon production by 2026 to 804,323 barrels per day. That was one of the announcements made Monday morning by Ítalo Cedeño, the manager of Petroecuador, during the rendering of accounts on the activities carried […]
Volume 6, Issue 24
From the week of March 20, 2022
As the Law of Investment goes to the Assembly, it’s clear that the Legislative body is broken
Mauricio Alarcón Salvador discusses the possible solutions to the political crisis that the Assembly is going through, the relationship with the President and the risks of ‘cross death.’ The National Assembly is going through one of its worst institutional crises in recent times, so much so that—once again—the possibility of ‘cross death’ (where the President […]
Cabrera and MTOP ignoring Azuay roads as connections to other provinces collapse
Cuenca has serious road connection problems with almost all the cities that surround it: Guayaquil, Machala, Loja and Macas. The winter accelerated the deterioration of the roads of the Austro. In...
COVID cases drop dramatically in Ecuador, but BA.2 variant worries some experts
The positivity rate in virus detection tests is currently 9%, in January of this year the figure was 62%. Last Friday, the country said goodbye to mobility and capacity restrictions within a new scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic in which, according to the President of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso, Ecuador is ready to “take a […]
Ecuador exports 600 tons of avocado in 2021, a small part of a $5 billion market
Ecuador’s avocado export increase with large markets in Spain and Asia. In Ecuador, avocado is grown on 1,750 hectares nationwide, corresponding to 70 producers, distributed in 16 provinces. More than 600 tons of this non-traditional product were exported in approximately 100 shipments in 2021. The Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad) says that last year’s exports increased […]
Ecuador’s 68 protected areas account for almost 14% of its territory
There are 68 protected areas in Ecuador that make up the National System of Protected Areas (SNAP). They occupy more than 18 million hectares, which represent more than 13.78% of the country's...
Exporters and producers discussing options to maintain banana prices in wake of lost sales to Russia and Ukraine
Russian and Ukraine sales accounted for 25% of Ecuador’s banana exports. Banana exporters and producers jointly outlined new strategies to cushion the impact on the fruit that is no longer being exported to Russia and Ukraine due to the war (last week more than 1 million boxes of bananas were held back from delivery to […]
Hope
Every day, four of our eight dogs go for a walk in the valley. They have been doing this since we took them in from the streets. We tried to train them to stay on the property. We’ve even fenced it off. And they constantly found a way out. So, we gave into their nature […]
International flights to Manta much more likely than Cuenca
International flights now only arrive at Quito and Guayaquil. Improving Ecuador’s international connectivity, so that it becomes a hub, is one of the objectives of the air sector, says Peter Cerdá, Regional Vice President for the Americas of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). To do this, airlines are seeking to have international flights arrive […]
Solaris Resourses mining company reaches agreement with Shaur to increase pay at the Warintza project
The mine is in the Morona Santiago jungle and copper reserves have already been found. The project is in the initial exploration stage. The Warints Shuar community has 850 inhabitants and is settled...
Volume 6, Issue 23
From the week of March 13, 2022
At a time when all could be good
This week I wanted to write “Assassinate Putin!” 500 times and just have that be my column. But then I read today that Facebook and Twitter are shutting down accounts that say anything about suggesting such a thing. Not that The Cuenca Dispatch is either of those media outlets. But I guess since they are […]
Scientists believe they have discovered a sew species of giant tortoises in Galapagos
Almost eight thousand tortoises that exist today in San Cristóbal might not be Chelonoidis chathamensis, but rather a new species that has never been described by science. A new species of giant tortoise was discovered on San Cristóbal Island, in the Galapagos. Until now, they were believed to be individuals of the species Chelonoidis chathamensis. However, a group of scientists from the […]
Petroecuador needs $12 billion to double production by 2025
Petroecuador seeks investments of $12,000 billion to double oil production to 804,000 barrels per day in four years. The state oil company, Petroecuador, outlined the roadmap to double its oil...
Investment bill goes to Assembly for discussion, must be voted on by April 11th
It includes rules for public-private partnerships and the creation of free zones. The National Assembly scheduled the first debate on the Investment Law project for yesterday afternoon, March 13, 2022. The bill is of an urgent economic nature, so the Assembly has only 30 days to approve it or file it. If they do not treat it […]
Banana sales to Russia and Ukraine halted, putting 260,000 jobs at risk
Update to: Exports to Russia increase over 2020, but lack of trade deal with Eurasian Economic Union could cause problems starting in mid-October Published: Volume 5, Issue 46 More than 1 million boxes of bananas were not sent to these markets in the last two weeks, which represents economic losses of about $12 million. The […]
Ecuador’s covid-19 infections fell 82% in February
In a short video released by his communication team, the president of the National Emergency Operations Committee (COE), Juan Zapata, updated the figures on the coronavirus pandemic in Ecuador. “The...
Remittances from abroad surpass $4 billion annually, often enriching illicit activity
In 2021, the arrival of remittances to Ecuador broke historical records for two consecutive quarters. Although this money helps the economy of the Austro cantons, part of it feeds mafias of human traffickers and informal moneylenders. According to data from the Central Bank, between January and September 2021, Ecuador received remittances for $3.152 billion, exceeding […]
New Chilean President Boric begins the ‘progressive era’ in Chile
Gabriel Boric took power in Chile last Friday, March 11. President Guillermo Lasso took advantage of the inauguration trip to reaffirm the relationship between the two countries and to seek a new...
Rise in oil prices will help Ecuador recover losses from December’s ruptured pipelines
Update to: Rapid rise in oil prices could add more than $2 billon to Ecuador’s budget Published: Volume 6, Issue 22 The resources for oil surpluses will help compensate for the last oil emergency in Ecuador, in December 2021. The Ministry of Finance has the calculations of the additional income that Ecuador will receive due […]
Mexico cities again the epicenter of urban violence, but Guayaquil makes list
Zamora, Mexico, with almost 197 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, was the most violent city in the world last year, and the eight most violent cities are all in Mexico. Guayaquil comes in as the 50th most dangerous city. For the fifth consecutive year, a Mexican city is the most violent in the world. In 2021, […]