Azuay ranked among Ecuador’s leading destinations as the August holiday produced decade high national tourism results. Ecuador’s August 10th holiday produced the strongest tourism results for that holiday in at least a decade, with more than one million trips nationwide and almost $70 million in estimated spending—and Azuay ranked among the country’s most visited destinations. […]

A restored Baldwin steam engine has returned after 22 years reconnecting the city with its railway past. A 125-year-old steam locomotive has returned to Cuenca after more than two decades away, bringing back a piece of a railway era that once transformed how the city connected with the rest of Ecuador. Locomotive No. 14, built […]

New university data adds urgency to a cheaper government plan for fixing one of Cuenca’s worst bottlenecks. The average trip across Cuenca now takes about 34 minutes, up from roughly 22 minutes in 2000, while residents collectively make an estimated 1.5 million trips every day. The numbers help explain why traffic has become one of […]

The upgrade recognizes stronger finances and market access but leaves Ecuador well below investment grade. Ecuador has received its first upgrade to a “B” long-term sovereign credit rating from S&P Global Ratings in six years, a sign that the country’s financial position has improved even though the rating agency continues to see substantial economic and […]

Regional earthquakes renew questions about evacuation planning and whether Cuenca homeowners have the insurance protection they expect. The magnitude-7.4 earthquake that struck Colombia on August 10th was felt across a broad region, including parts of Ecuador, but scientists say it is not evidence that another large earthquake is now “moving” toward Ecuador. What the event […]

Pump prices are easing while refinery problems keep Ecuador unusually dependent on imported gasoline and diesel. Drivers in Ecuador are paying slightly less for gasoline and diesel this month, but behind the two-cent reduction at the pump is a less reassuring development: the country is importing more refined fuel than it did two years ago. […]

The reservoir remains nearly full but falling inflows are drawing attention ahead of the critical dry season. Ecuador’s most important hydroelectric reservoir is approaching the annual dry season nearly full, giving the country an important electricity reserve even as the amount of water flowing into Mazar has fallen sharply compared with last year. Between August […]

One in four new vehicles now uses hybrid or electric technology and support businesses are racing to adapt. Ecuador’s new-car market is changing much faster than it was even a year ago: roughly one in every four vehicles sold in the country between January and July was either hybrid or fully electric. According to figures […]

Industry leaders want a public registry and stronger qualifications as complaints expose risks in an informal market. Buying a house or condominium in Ecuador may eventually come with a new way to answer a surprisingly basic question: is the person handling the transaction actually qualified to work as a real-estate professional? The Ecuadorian Real Estate […]

Ecuador may face rising electricity costs as Colombian thermal generation becomes increasingly important during coming dry months.

SPPAT offers financial protection for accident victims and families, but many Ecuadorians still do not understand the benefits available

Two decades of ruptures, accusations and legal battles give way to an unexpected electoral partnership in Pichincha.

Automotive tariffs fall as both governments widen cooperation on security, extradition, energy and air travel.

Passengers in Quito, Guayaquil and Cuenca can buy lounge access or enter through airline and credit card benefits.

New legislation would centralize climate data, expand financing options and establish oversight of carbon market activities.

Former finance and agriculture minister carries national economic credentials into ADN’s municipal campaign.

Reopened border trade gives producers a chance to rebuild sales after months of tariffs and falling prices.

Landmark national study finds exclusion follows many people into schools, healthcare facilities and workplaces.

Former rivals revisit a failed legislative deal as parties prepare for another electoral test.

Colombia’s tightening power balance clouds Ecuador’s plan to cover a possible 1,300-megawatt shortfall.

Oil companies begin formal notification process as Ecuador faces a 60-day deadline to answer the claim.

Thermal rentals, aging-plant repairs and regional negotiations form the government’s defense against renewed electricity shortages. Ecuador is assembling a costly mix of rented generators, repaired state-owned equipment and possible electricity imports as authorities prepare for the annual decline in rainfall around the country’s largest hydroelectric plants. The government’s most immediate measure is a group of […]

National killings declined in early 2026, but violence intensified sharply around Machala, ports and the Peruvian border. Ecuador recorded fewer homicides during the first half of 2026, extending a national decline from the unprecedented levels reached a year earlier. But the improvement was uneven, with El Oro moving in the opposite direction and emerging as […]

Nearly all Ecuadorian exports would gain tariff-free entry, but ratification could postpone implementation until 2027. Ecuadorian exporters are preparing for expanded access to one of the world’s wealthier consumer markets after Ecuador and Canada signed a free trade agreement intended to remove tariffs, establish investment protections and strengthen commercial ties between the two countries. Production, […]

Higher crude prices are improving liquidity, reducing arrears and easing borrowing pressure while creating new budget risks. Ecuador’s government has collected nearly as much oil revenue during the first seven months of 2026 as it received throughout all of last year, providing an unexpected infusion of cash at a time when the country continues to […]

New import permits reopen Ecuador’s largest foreign rice market after months of disrupted border trade. Ecuadorian rice is beginning to move toward Colombia again after import permits were issued to Colombian buyers, reopening a vital overland market that had been effectively closed for nearly five months. The first permits were released late last week, allowing […]

Relatives, municipal officials and political allies attended a crowded service while details of Zamora’s illness remained private. Dozens of people gathered at one of Cuenca’s best-known churches to pray for the recovery of suspended Mayor Cristian Zamora, whose health has reportedly deteriorated since returning from a trip outside Ecuador. The Mass was held Thursday, July […]

Full reservoirs offer temporary security while aging plants and delayed contracts leave little margin for error. Ecuador enters the final months before its annual dry season with reservoirs full, electricity production comfortably meeting present demand and government officials insisting that another round of scheduled blackouts is not expected. But behind those assurances, the national power […]

New digital registry would track every vehicle while tighter controls target delays, fraud and corruption. Ecuador’s National Transit Agency is preparing to re-register the country’s entire vehicle fleet as part of a broad effort to replace fragmented databases, improve the reliability of public records and close opportunities for corruption. The National Registry of Transit and […]

Authorities say intelligence and a military search disrupted a large-scale confrontation inside Guayaquil’s most notorious prison. Ecuadorian security forces say they prevented a potentially devastating outbreak of violence inside the Litoral Penitentiary after discovering a clandestine weapons depot containing rifles, explosives, homemade grenade launchers and more than 12,000 rounds of ammunition. The arsenal was concealed […]

Regional governments pursue an integrated aviation market while Ecuador watches for a possible new United States connection. South American governments are moving toward an ambitious overhaul of regional air travel that could eventually make international flights within the continent operate more like domestic services, while Ecuador’s capital waits for American Airlines to disclose plans for […]

Thousands of worshippers will accompany the revered image on its demanding journey from El Cisne to Loja. Thousands of pilgrims are preparing to cross the mountains of Loja province in August as one of Ecuador’s largest religious celebrations returns with three days of processions, worship and community festivities. The 2026 pilgrimage of the Virgin of […]

Judges found the American drug-trafficking case insufficiently detailed, while a separate Ecuadorian request remains unresolved. A Spanish court has rejected a United States request to extradite Wilmer Geovanny Chavarría Barré, alias “Pipo,” ruling that the accusations presented by American authorities lacked the specific details required to justify his surrender. The decision represents a temporary legal […]

Lawmakers seek human rights guarantees before military funding and joint security operations can continue. Democratic lawmakers are seeking new human rights conditions on U.S. defense cooperation with Ecuador, widening Washington’s debate over military assistance, counter-narcotics operations and accountability for foreign security forces that receive American support overseas. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Greg Casar […]

Major medical investment promises new jobs, advanced care and expanded specialist services across southern Ecuador. A private hospital development has entered the construction phase in Cuenca, bringing plans for expanded specialty care, advanced medical technology and as many as 1,200 direct jobs. Hospital Santa Inés and the Vintimilla Group broke ground Tuesday, July 7th, on […]

Tariff cuts and stronger exports are reshaping one of the country’s fastest-growing commercial relationships. Annual trade between Ecuador and China is expected to pass $20 billion as their free-trade agreement moves through its third year, extending a sharp rise in Ecuadorian exports and further narrowing a commercial imbalance that once favored Chinese goods. Gao Zhenting, […]

A rejected residency case shows why genuine marriages still require strong evidence and careful interview preparation. The denial arrived after Fernando had built a life that, to him, seemed impossible to mistake for a marriage of convenience. He had married a U.S. citizen and applied for permanent residency six months after their wedding. Yet U.S. […]

Authorities are examining cash-heavy transactions, municipal contracts and companies linked to Darío Macas and his family. A rapid fall from City Hall Machala Mayor Darío Macas has been sent to the Cotopaxi prison while prosecutors investigate allegations that he and his wife accumulated approximately $6 million in unjustified wealth during his years in office. Macas, […]

Officials urge victims to report threats promptly, follow investigators’ guidance and avoid making payments to criminals. Ecuadorian security authorities are urging people who receive extortion demands to contact police rather than confront the threat alone, as emergency records show a sharp rise in reports so far in 2026. From January 1st through July 8th, the […]

Study links coastal killings to criminal systems, firearms and changing patterns of violence against women.

New accusation places alias Pipo at the center of the alleged chain between planners and gunmen.

Coded calls and altered records exposed a transit bribery network prosecutors say stretched across Manabí.

New report cites militarized security, prison overcrowding and weak safeguards amid states of emergency.

Higher spending has not stopped falling output as Ecuador looks to private capital and new drilling.

Contract dispute removes 100 megawatts from national supply as officials warn of a widening energy gap.

Conservative election victories could ease diplomatic tensions while strengthening security and trade ties across the Andes.

Prosecutors allege a municipal network sold improper vehicle documents while creating millions of dollars in public losses.

The Carchi pilot combines intelligence, technology and mobile patrols against trafficking networks and illegal commerce.

Higher crude prices brought an opportunity, but declining Petroecuador production reduced the country’s potential earnings.

Farm groups warn weak coordination, and scarce credit could deepen losses after the NOAA announced on June 11th that El Niño conditions were beginning to develop.

Colombian imports could provide temporary relief, but industries are preparing for months of uncertain electricity supplies.

Ecuadorians and foreign residents can receive the benefit at checkout after completing a one-time registration process.

Party suspensions and shifting alliances are reshaping races for powerful local offices across Ecuador.

Advancing river damage has exposed years of delayed decisions and increasingly expensive temporary fixes. The relentless erosion of the Coca River has developed into a growing threat to two pillars of Ecuador’s economy: its largest hydroelectric plant and the pipelines that carry much of the country’s crude oil. Six years after the phenomenon began, authorities […]

Movement delays alliance announcement while racing to secure candidates and political partners before looming electoral deadlines. The Citizen Revolution movement is concealing key elements of its strategy for Ecuador’s November local elections, delaying the announcement of the political organizations that could provide its candidates with a place on the ballot. The alliance was expected to […]

Most investigations have ended without charges, while several prominent mayors remain jailed, indicted or under scrutiny. More than half of Ecuador’s mayors and provincial prefects have appeared in criminal proceedings, creating a sprawling legal record that reaches from the country’s largest cities to remote Amazonian cantons. An examination of the Judicial Council’s electronic case system […]

Scientists find abnormal heat extending far below the surface as fisheries and rainfall patterns begin changing. Unusually warm water reaching depths of 100 meters off Ecuador’s coast is providing some of the clearest evidence yet that El Niño conditions are developing, according to findings from a recent scientific expedition. The Ecuadorian Navy research vessel BAE […]

Computer records reveal appointments bypassed official controls as investigators examine alleged payments and after-hours printing. A computer analysis of National Transit Agency records has uncovered evidence of a parallel operation that allegedly allowed employees to issue driver’s licenses outside normal procedures, bypass payment controls and serve hundreds more applicants than the official appointment system permitted. […]

Overcrowded centers are struggling to rehabilitate teenagers drawn into Ecuador’s expanding criminal networks. Ecuador’s juvenile detention system is facing a mounting crisis as a sharp increase in adolescent arrests pushes facilities far beyond their intended capacity, raising concerns that centers designed for rehabilitation could instead deepen young offenders’ involvement in organized crime. By May 2026, […]

The longtime councilwoman assumes the mayor’s office amid controversy while promising stability and continuity for the city. Marisol Peñaloza’s arrival at the top of Cuenca’s municipal government carries an unusual sense of political symmetry. Seven years after she fought for the right of a woman to serve as the city’s vice-mayor, Peñaloza has become Cuenca’s […]

New decree opens the door to international deployments while thousands of Ecuadorian soldiers move into violence-stricken provinces. President Daniel Noboa has launched a new phase of Ecuador’s campaign against organized crime, combining a large domestic military deployment with an offer of legal immunity to personnel sent by cooperating foreign governments. Executive Decree 424, signed on […]

Three major mergers place economic policy infrastructure and social programs under broader government portfolios. President Daniel Noboa has formally launched another major restructuring of Ecuador’s executive branch, combining six government institutions into three expanded ministries as part of an effort to reduce administrative duplication and public spending. The changes, established through three executive decrees signed […]

Prosecutors say subsidized diesel profits were hidden through companies, offshore billing and real estate holdings.

Lawmakers approved withdrawal from a trade mechanism critics say had become inactive and vulnerable to abuse.

Prosecutors say public funds were allegedly moved through couriers, front men, luxury purchases and foreign accounts.

Rising pump prices are changing household budgets and accelerating interest in electric vehicles across Ecuador.

Historic building will become a cultural and public-use space after years of deterioration.

Mayor says he will seek clarification of tribunal ruling before vice mayor assumes office temporarily.

The $13.16 million Guangopolo agreement will add 10 megawatts of diesel generation capacity before October.

There are weeks when Ecuador feels less like a country than a house where every room has a different leak. Someone is in the kitchen replacing a pipe. Someone else is on the roof holding a blue tarp over a hole that has been there since last winter. The lights flicker whenever it rains too […]

Proposed surcharge could replace an existing tariff as Washington reviews import controls across dozens of economies.

Minister says contractor guarantees remain active because the unfinished structure was never formally accepted.

The government says a smaller Cabinet will reduce costs, simplify services and accelerate Ecuador’s digital transformation.

New government survey shows income disparities and spending habits across urban and rural areas.

Government plans urgent procurement from India amid concerns over safety and oversight in national health system.

New rules for construction materials revive questions over a registry closed to new concessions since 2018.

Airport arrests renew concerns over weak controls and the international trade in protected species.

Mayor’s political future hangs as appeals and sanctions collide with the electoral calendar in Cuenca.